Dickenson County herald. [volume] (Clintwood, Va.) 1939-195?, 1945-02-08
Labor Draft FDR's Bid
For Support Of Veterans
Legislation Would Signify Full Backing of
War Effort; See Servicemen as
Powerful Political Group.
By BAUKHAGE
Ne,us Analyst and Commentator.

NetUs analyst al
WNU Service, Union Trust Building,
Washington, d. G..
''If the President really intends to
crack down and jam this national
service bill through congress one
thing is certain-he doesn't intend to
run for fifth term"
That statement made by sea-
soned old-timer who is a very good
political weather prophet started
me off on journey of exploration
which disclosed a number of inter-
esting observations concerning the
Presidents plans for the next four
years which can be reduced to four
main points:
/. Whether or not the President
believes he owes debt to labor for
the activities of the CLIO Political
Action committee in the last cleo
ton, he doesn't intend to pay such
a debt.
2. He has found a ''better 'ole,"
and he intends to make use OF 1t II
he can, namely, another much more
important pressure group which
will probably be getting up steam
long before the next election, but
3. Mr.. Roosevelt is not interested
in the next presidential election-for
himself, because
4. He has much larger fish to fry
before and after 1913, and some
things cooking right now.
How can the President afford to
overlook the support Of labor (point
ID and hunt a ''better ole" (point q?
Because the most powerful pres.
sure group the country has ever
known is now in the making, the
veterans of World War II.
Election Indicates
Vets Influence
It is still too early for the men
and women in the military service
to WELD much direct political power,
but judging from the vote cast In
the last election and the efforts made
both to prevent and to obtain it, the
predischarge Importance Of veter-
ans cannot be entirely overlooked.
Already, there are number Of
very clear signs of the stirring OF
tremendous potentialities Of the vet
eran in the postwar political world.
At present, three hundred thousand
have already joined the American
Legion. We are not allowed, be-
cause Of security reasons, to print
the number of men already dis
charged, but as of some five months
ago it was million and half. The
Legion does not take any but those
with honorable discharges and that
would mean that World War II dis
charges are joining up at about the
same rate that World War vet
Grams became legionnaires.
The Legion has nearly million
and half dues-paying members
out of the three-million who served
in the last war. If the same proper
tons were maintained we can envi-
sion future veterans organization
(either the Legion or new group
numbering at least five million
persons. And that calculation Is
based on the armed forces as of to-
day. BY the time the war is over
the number Of those who will have
served will be much greater.
That is looking at the potential
strength of the World War II vet
eran pressure solely in terms OF
numbers. Another highly important
factor must be considered. There is
much evidence indicating that the
present day fighting man is much
more politically conscious than we
were in 1917 and 10. This is seen
in the discussion ("orientation''
groups which are carried on by the
army and navy all over the world,
by the tremendous amount of news
which reaches the troops even In