The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-05-25
By WEsTBRooK PEGLER

his readers Ills articles serve the good purpose Of
BY WEsTBROoK PEGLER
NEW YORK.-President Roosevelt, born in
1882, was SO years old when he was nomi-
mated for the vice presidency of the United
States in 1920. If he had been elected and
Mr. Cox had died before his Inauguration, Mr.
Roosevelt would have become his successor
at the age of 80 at period which is now
said to have been the key to many Of the
worlds worst troubles, and with very little
experience in the science or business, of gov
eminent. Mr.. Cox, fortunately, is still alive
and at last accounts was able to shoot
fairly decent score at golf; but the fact re-
mains that in 1920 Mr.. Roosevelt, although
he was only three years above the minimum
age set by the Constitution for Presidents, ex-
pressed no doubt whatever the score of
age, or any other score, of his ability tol
handle the responsibilities of the presidency
had Mr.. Cox been called to his reward by
mlshap or fair wear and tear. In world af-
FAIRS he was no less a novice than Thomas
Z. Dewey is today as to personal experience
although, being a son of luxury living largely
on family fortune derived from natural re-
sources, notably timber and COAL he had the
advantage of some idle travel for pleasure in
Europe. His service of five months altogether
IN Europe, in the summer of 1913 inspector
OF the naval forces in France and Britain and
IN 1919. in charge of the rehabilitation of
those forces, was administrative, not POLITICAL;
and even if those few months had been de-
voted to deep study of European affairs, they
hardly could have given any man superior
understanding. Some American journalists
who served years abroad had conflicting opin-
ions down to few months before the out
break OF the present war, many of them hold
ing that Hitler was just bluffng and would
quit rafting his sword short of war.
By contrast, the Dewey of today has been
seeking the presidential nomination for about
five years, and has been studying world prob
lens and this country's problems in relation
to the rest of the word throughout that time
because this has been period of great anxiety
when anyone aspiring to the presidency must
be prepared.
When Mr.. Roosevelt, in 1920, offered him
self as man qualified, in case of emergency
to take over the job of head man at any time,
he had had just three years service in state
government in the role of state senator. The
average session of the legislature is only three
or four months, young Senator Roosevelt 81
experience in this office, a minor and part
time job would have been not more than one
year all told.
Governor Dewey's experience in government
prior to his Inauguration on Jan. l, 1943 had
been that of prosecutor and attorney in the
course of which, naturally, he had to meet
many constitutional problems. He was first,
chief assistant United States district attorney
for two years; then, for term of about six
months, an interim appointee of the judges
of the federal court as district attorney. Hel
then handled some tax cases for the federal
government under Mr.. Roosevelt's presidency,
and next served by appointment of demo-
cratic governor as special prosecutor in New
York for more than two years. Inasmuch asI
his investigations largely concerned civic cor
ruption and evil conduct in labor organiza-
tons. (and labor organizations today are the
most grievous domestic problem), it can bel
said that this experience followed by four
years more as district attorney of New York
must have given him an inside knowledge oil
the workings Of government and politics, par
ticularly in the relationship between unions on
hand and business and government on
the other.
When Mr.. Roosevelt finally was elected
president in 1882. he had served two terms
as governor of New York, but there were two
year terms Thus his experience as governor,
which was stressed by his party as special
qualification, was only two years more than
Dewey will have had in the same office should
he be inaugurated president in January, 1945.
As to whether Mr.. Roosevelt was better
governor than Mr.. Dewey, opinion will divide
strict party lines with little regard for|
the realities, for judgment and reason areI
befogged by partisanship.
STILL the facts in the record show that
Dewey will be almost four years older next
Inauguration day than Mr.. Roosevelt was
when he considered himself fit to tackle the
lob in an emergency in 1921, and will have
served as governor the equivalent of one OF
Mr. Rooseve1t's two terms which so pre-emi-
nently qualified him for the highest office in
the campaign of 1882
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