Evening star., 1944-09-21
Time for q Change
Seen Dewey's Slogan
Phrase Crystallizes Republican
Campaign, Says Observer
BY D0vid Laurence .

BY David Laurence
Gov. Dewey has revealed his slogan
FOR this campaign-'It Is time for
change" Three times during the Seattle
speech and once before at Philadelphia,
Mr.. Dewey used that same phrase. The
probabilities are that he and all other
Republican speakers will be using it
constantly hereafter. It crystallizes In
one phrase the entire Republican cam
paien.
Mr.. Dewey devoted his Portland speech
to a collateral idea which, in 1912,
Woodrow Wilson, Democratic nominee.
put into slogan form when he said:
There Is no indispensable man"
Mr.. Wilson, at the time, was referring
to Theodore Roosevelt, who had served
seven years in the White House and was
q candidate for another term. But, in
that instance, four years had intervened
while William Howard Taft was Presi-
dent. Even in those circumstances, Mr..
Wilson attacked the idea of indispen-
stability.
Gov. Dewey will probably stress more
and more the argument that there is no
indispensable person, while the Demo-
Gratis apparently are going to say just
the opposite.
Churchilrs Remark.
Thus Prime Minister Churchill, who
perhaps knows American politics as we'll
as any Englishman, did remark to the
reporters at the Quebec conference that
the success of the meeting was due in
large part to the fact that he and the
President got along so we'll together
personally. While Mr.. Churchill did not
make any reference to the American
political campaign, his comment was
interpreted very widely as point likely
to help the Presidents reelection cam
paign.
1t was no surprise, therefore, that
Mr.. Dewey struck out so vigorously in
the Portland speech against the theory
that two or three heads of state could
get together and make lasting peace.
He referred again and again to the fact
that, If this were the case, too much
would depend upon the life span" Of
single individual. In other words, if
the argument is valid that everything
depends on personal friendships, then
the agreements made must presumably
be imperiled the moment one or two
of the principals are subtracted from
this world by the hand of fate.
! AS matter of fact, the whole ques-
j ton of indispensability is related very
directly to the issue of personal govern
ment. Mr.. Roosevelt's concept of gov
ernment is that the man at the top
can administer government through
personal decisions, not only on domestic,
but on international affairs.
1t has become quite customary inside
the Roosevelt administration for the
President to have contacts with sub
ordinates Of his own cabinet oficers.
He cuts through the entire organiza-
ton and Is in contact with underlings
who feed him gossip as we'll as argu-
ment.
Friction Is Result.
The result Is that the whole Roose-
welt administration Is constantly in
turmoil. and there Is an unprecedented
amount of friction inside Of the Gov
ernment. with an incessant seeking Of
more and more jurisdiction on the part
Of offcials who find themselves by
passed and often sidetracked as fa-
vorites are permitted to get the ear of
persons in the White House.
1 Morale is not built that way either
In Government or in private business.
Gov. Dewevs concept is entirely diff
ferent. He feels that cabinet of able
men should be selected and an organi-
zation developed so that the momen-
tum Of Government does not depend on
any one person. He thinks of the Gov
ernment as mechanism co-ordinated
by some one at the ton but. at the
same time functioning with the best
advice nossible and with specific re-
sporsihility allocated to the department
heads
That Is whv Mr. Dewey seeks to en-
ohasize that "one-man" Government Is
ineficient and that "it is time for a
change" The Democrats will answer,
Of course. that Mr. Roosevelt is indis-
pensable and that this. of all times. Is
no tine to change
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