Evening star., 1944-07-12
Accepted in Advance

In making IL known that ne would
accept il nominated and serve If
elected, the President has personally
ratified a foregone conclusion. 1t is
his elucidation of the obvious that
makes the news. In his letter to
Mr.. Hannegan he combines an &C
ceptance speech, political plat
form and his own version of the
issue in the November elections-all
this within about 500 words and
eight days in advance of the Demo-
cratic National Convention. The
convention can now stamp it official
and select somebody to run as Vice
President.
The letter to Mr.. Hannegan, to
use some Of the Presidents words,
may not be an acceptance speech
'in the usual partisan, political
sense" But it is excellent politics
all the same. In it the President
takes the voter into his confidence,
giving him an intimate glimpse OF
the conflict between his personal
longing for retirement to the Sc
cluded banks of the Hudson and an
inner voice which bids him stay "in
day and hour when our Nation has
been attacked, and when its future
existence and the future existence
Of our chosen form of government
are at stake" Thus given the al
ternatives, the voter is told that he
can make the decision for the Com
mander in Chief.
The platform might be written on
a postage stamp, II such demonstra-
tion of its brevity were needed. ITO
win this war Fundamentally, un-
equivocally and as quickly as we can
is our task of the first Importance.
To win this war in such a way that
there can be no further world wars
in the foreseeable future Is our Sec
ond objective. To provide occupa-
tions and to provide decent stand
ard Of living for our men in the
armed services after the war, and
for all Americans, are the final OBJ
jectives." Who can pick flaws in
that platform? Who offers q better
one? What a boon to harrassed
party leaders, conscious of incipient
rebellion over mundane matters,
such as the poll tax, Federal anti
lynching laws, the two thirds rule,
etc. II unity could be found in a
simple declaration that we shall win
the war, win the peace and give
everybody a good job!
1t might be just as effective as any
platform. For the issues in the 1914
campaign will not be drawn by party
platforms. There is only one issue
the indispensabillty of the President.
Not his indispensability as a party
leader, for that long since was estab-
lished beyond doubt. But his indi-
spensability-as they accept or reject
ito the American people. The
President suggests, rather than
states, that issue. But 1t Is put with
disarming candor. He would rather
quit. But he has "as little right to
withdraw as the soldier has to leave
his post in the line" No suggestion
here that soldiers are replaced; that
one soldier takes another soldiers
place; that tired soldier is not the
best soldier; that it is the army not
the lone soldier, which moves for
ward and wins battles.
Do the people believe, as the Presi-
udeht seems to believe, that the fu-
ture existence Of our Nation and of
our form of government compel his
perpetuation in office, or do they
feel that a change will go even
further to assure preservation of the
Nation and its form of government?
The tone of the Presidents letter
suggests that he is willing to rest
the matter there, which is fair
enough and which is where Cover
nor Dewey must begin talking-fast.