Evening star., 1947-02-15
Democrats Preparing
For Strong '4S Drive
Truman Statement Encourages
Second Term Supporters.
By Gould Lincoln

~ By Gould Lincoln
Men in the White House during the
last so years have invariably been can
didates for denomination and re-elec-
tion when they had been President for
less than one term. 1t was taken for
granted they would seek to succeed
themselves. Two of these men, Theo-
dore Roosevelt and Calvin Coolidge,
moved into the Executive Mansion from
the Office of Vice President, following
the death OF the President. No one
questioned their willingness to stand
for the presidential nomination when
the time came. Nor did any one queS-
ton the intention of the late Presi-
dent Franklin D. Roosevelt to stand
for q second term. The questioning
came later, when MIR. Roosevelt was
making up his mind to run for a third
term-smashing the two-term tradi-
tion for Presidents.
President Truman, whose hat was
recently tossed in the ring for the
i94S Democratic presidential nomination
by Democratic National Chairman
Hannegan, was asked at a recent press
conference whether he accepted" the
Hannegan nomination. Without saying
he would run next year, Mr.. Truman
replied that he would continue to con-
duct the presidential Office without re-
gard to his personal political fortunes
1t was an excellent statement. And
it certainly did not close the door to
a 1948 candidacy.
Vigorous Campaign Planned.
Indeed, everything points to deter
mination on the part of the Demo-
Gratis to build up strong national
organization with which to repel the
Republican attack in 194s. Gael Sui
livan, former right-hand man Of Mayor
Kelly of Chicago and Second Assistant
Postmaster General since September,
1945,, has been appointed executive
director" of the Democratic National
Committee to relieve Chairman Hanne-
gan (who is also Postmaster GeneraD
of much of the work of the national
committee. Right on the heels of this
appointment, Mrs. Chase Going Wood
house. former Representative from
Connecticut, was named executive di-
rector" of the Women's Division of
the Democratic National Committee
a full-time job as is that Of Mr.. Sui
livan.
The effort is to get some virile, new
blood into the party's national organi-
zation. Chairman Hannegan ostensi-
bly, is to remain indefinitely as national
chairman. However, his health has not
been good, and in inner Democratic cir
cles it is expected that within few
months, he will relinquish the nation
al chairmanship and devote all his time
to his cabinet Office. The Democratic
leaders have been casting around for
successor to Mr.. Hannegan for some
time. Mr.. Sullivan, who has shown
himself capable organizer both In civil
life and in the Army during the war,
is, it is believed, being given a tryout
in his new office as the committees
executive director. If he makes good
and 1t Is presumed he will-he may be-
come chairman. At any rate, he is to
have much responsibility for the organ
izing work of the national committee
from now on.
If Hannegan Quits.
Back in 1929, after the Democrats had
been disastrously defeated in the
Hoover-Al Smith presidential election,
John J. Raskob continued as Demo-
cratic national chairman, but with
Jouett Shouse as chairman of the Ex-
ecutive Committee. Mr. Shouse was in
effect executive director, although he
served without salary, and it was under
his direction that a very effective Or
ganization was constructed to attack
the Hoover administration.
A number of prominent Democrats
have been newfoundland some Of
them have been under consideration
for the post of national chairman when
and If Mr.. Hannegan should step out.
among them Paul Fitzpatrick, Demo-
cratic State chairman in New York,
and former Gov. Kerr of Oklahoma.
Mr.. Fitzpatrick lost ground because Of
the devastating defeat the Democrats
suffered in the gubernatorial and con-
gressional elections in New York last
November Mr.. Kerr. 1t is said, has the
handicap of not having supported the
late Alfred E. Smith when he was the
Democratic presidential candidate in
1928.
AS long as President Truman sticks to
the formula he has laid down for the
conduct of his office, he is likely to be
very much in the 1948 presidential race.
United States I am guided by simple
formula: to do in all cases, from day
to day, without regard to narrow polit-
ical considerations, what seems to me
to be the best for the welfare of all our
people" He is faced by Republican
controlled Congress, which will make 1t
impossible for him to carry into ef-
feet some of his proposals. He will,
however, have to accept responsibility
in the end for what goes on in the
United States during the next two