The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1944-11-02
MISREPRESENTATION"

" ~ IlIJIN M hOOSCNtll W lIl'N vi
loses this election, he seems likely to
emerge from the campaign with his
reputation for candor and consistency
considerably lower with many more
Americans than ever before. Neither
the publicity advantages that accrue
to the White House incumbent nor
the vehement denialS and counter
charges from the Hillman-H flanagan
press agents (and also from himself)
obscure the fact that the attitude of
superior virtue and wisdom, which
has become second nature to him, is
spurious and absurd
THAT has been apparent for
long time to quite a lot of people.
Certainly, their number has increased
in recent months and it is illumi-
mating that while the series of in
dictmcntS made by Governor Dewey
have been met with shrill cries of
misrepresentation Classification"
and "dstorton," not one has been
disproved or adequately answered. 1t
is equally Illuminating that the PrcSi-
dent himself has been convicted of
exactly the same kind Of miSrcprcscn-
tation and diSingcnuouSncSs of which
he has accused his opponent. Take for
example the character of his cam
paign.
HE STARTED out by nobly proclaim.
ing that because of his position as
Commander in Chief and his absorb
ton in the war problems, he would
not campaign in the usual partisan
sense" He now attempts to recon-
Gle his recent and present tours and
speeches with that promise on the
ground that he had said he would
feel free to correct "miSrcprcsenta-
ton" Aside from the fact that every
candidate in every campaign feels
that every criticism or charge is
misrepresentation" the President,
with his White House facilities for
reaching the whole people at any
time through press and radio, GER
tainly could have corrected any mis-
representations" he wanted without
moving step.
ON THESE automobile tours of the
great cities, of which he has several
more scheduled. he isn't correcting
Misrepresentation is clearly cam
paigning in the usual partisan sense.
The thing he is trying to correct isn't
a misrepresentation is a suspected
swing Of the voters toward his oppo-
ncnt. 1t is an mcXcusablc misreprc-
Scntation to pretend otherwise Yet
he continues to make the prctension.
Nor is this the only Roosevelt pre-
tension that has been proven without
substance in this campaign. BY the
pretension that he is the one cOnsiS-
tent, competent and sincere champion
of American participation in an inter-
national organization for permanent
peace, he has gained support from
various undisccrning persons and the
main strategy of the fourth-tcrm
drive has been. despite Governor
Dewey'S repeated cIcar-cut pronounce
ments. to hook him up with the iSo-
lationiStS.
MIR. ROOSEVELT. personally. has led
in this effort to smear his opponent
with isolationism. And he has been
ably seconded by the vitupcrativc
Mr.. Ickes, by the Orson Wellcs type
of radical. by the Clio and the Com
munistic publicity and by his left
wing press support 1t is the string
upon which they daily harp. The re-
suit. naturally. has been to recall Mr..
RooSevclt's own isolation record.
starting with his acquicsccncc in the
rejection Of the League of Nations
idea by the Democratic party in its
1924 convention. Of which he was a
member. and followed by his personal
reputation Of the League ON Feb
ruary and again in May. 1882, when
he was seeking his first nomination
and Mr. Hearst conditioned his sup
port on a public statement from the
candidate. There followed, after bis
election. the scuttling Of the London
economic conference. which Mr. Dew
ey has characterized as the greatest
act of isolation ever committed by
an American President.
W.
BUT that isn't all. The record shows
that at no time from 1898 to 1889
did Mr.. Roosevelt ever urge American
participate in any collective sccur-
ity organization On the contrary, he
specifically repudiatcd the League a
number of times. On December 28,
1888, he said. 1--WE are not members
and we do not contemplate member
ahip." On January 3, 1884. he said
81 have made it clear that we cannot
take part in the political arrange
ments of Europe" On October 2. 1885
he said, despite what happens to
continents overseas. we shall and must
remain unentangled and free" On
August -, he said" We shun poiti.
cal commitments, which might en-