The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-09-16
By WEsTBROOK PEGLER

ny WES10hOOh FEGLER
Copyright, 1914, King Features Syndicate, Inc
DES MONIES, Ia, Sept. 49, - Governor
Dewey's arrival in the cornbelt was synchro-
nized with the annual encampment of the
Grand Army of the Republic, now reduced
to Is ancient and feeble warriors but rein
forced with a formidable array Of descend
ants, mostly distaff, who seem determined to
carry on even unto generations whose very
parents are as yet unborn. They are intensely
patriotic Americans of unimpeachable tradi.
ton and type and guardians of the fig, the
public school and the hearth.
The Civil war veterans, themselves and
their comrades, in their time, were a pres
sure group who plainly said they deserved
rewards for saving the nation and to can
didate campigning for the presidency in 1914.
the few trembling old men were a reminder
of a problem soon to be faced by the next
man in the White House. That problem, Of
itself, will be bad enough but, as the first
half OF this war ends in Europe, it will be
complicated by new one, probably equal in
size. For, this time, under a habit of mind
and spirit fostered by the Roosevelt govern
ment, it is argued, and apparently conceded,
that the civilians who find themselves out of
jobs when reconversion starts also will de-
serve public support for period not yet de-
termlned 1t has even been proposed that
civilians be transported, free, with their fam
Ines and possessions to places where jobs are
available, and, if the benefit program of the
communists in the CLIO is developed in the
usual way, there will be further agitation for
pensions for war workers as veterans of the
home front.
This is said to be favorable TERRITORY for
Governor Dewey. The state is Republican
and he is popular in proportion to the unpop-
ularlty, in farm state of the CIO-commu-
mist alliance of the industrial areas with its
naturalized but unassimilated European
preachers of contempt for the American sys-
tenn, his reception was good, if not tumul-
ttuous, most people nowadays being engaged
in work. and the state Republican leaders
were exuberant One interesting development
winch most of them seem to have overlooked
was an editorial in the Des Moines Register
OF Sunday in which one of the strongest sup
porters of Wendell Willke, after considerable
boxing with the idea, came to the conclusion
that 1.-The enormous gain of really getting
sound international policy put above narrow
partisanship-calls urgently for Dewey's cleo
ton" Inasmuch as Mr.. Willxe appeared to
repudiate Mr.. Roosevelt last week in an essay
about the defeated League of Nations this
might mean that Willkie will, in turn, throw
such support as he may possess to man
ship.
Although, in his Philadelphia speech, Dewey
said "of course we need relief when there
are not enough jobs and hurried on by, that
was a necessary concession to frame OIL
mind and condition of spirit which, in the
last twelve years, has changed entirely the
relationship Of the American citizen to his
government. It cannot be reversed abruptly
and any candidate who tried to repudiate I'M
employment pensions outright, though depre-
eating the dole system, would only defeat
himself The proposition that the government
owes the citizen living out of the public
treasury in certain circumstances, constantly|
enlarged, has become a fixed idea with mil
Lions and the counter-proposition that the cit
izen surrenders something of his personal and
political freedom for every such benefit has
been scoffed down as the cynicism of the
greedy.
Dewey's alternative, as revealed thus far
is his cry of 'jobs jobs, jobs and his de-
hunciation of the dole as degrading device
ternally in his increasing obligation to the
ruling party for its kindness.
No president to date has confronted the
talks that will greet the next one soon after
inauguration. Other wars brought their de.
noands for veterans preferment pensions
bonuses and job guarantees. Mr.. Roosevelt's
way with the civilians apparently would be a |
resumption of the relief system of the long
depression but on more generous terms and
to embrace many individuals who were SUP.
posed to be saving money for the reconver.
sion period out of extraordinary wages and
overtime Day during the war Dewey's plan
Is to make jobs by seeing to it that the
man who wants to produce more jobs is not
throttled by the government but knows he
has a government eager for him to sue
coed as he is. himself !