Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-07-15
Maj Records Hint Plot
To SuppIont Roosevelt
BY JOSEPH A. FOX

BY JOSEPH A. FOX
Seized Nazi prewar records
made public last night by the
State Department recounted the
fantastic story of plot to sup
plant Franklin d. Roosevelt in
the White House with James A
Farley in l940-and brought a
chuckling It's news to me" from
the big New Yorker who had
master-minded the New Deal
and later broke with F. d. r.
In New York, where he is an
official OF the Coca Cola Co.,
the former Democratic national
chairman and Postmaster Gen
eral recalled that Ralph Beaver
StraSsburger, Pennsylvania pub
Usher and longtime resident of
France, who repeatedly was the
guiding spirit in the Farley-for-
President move, happens TO be
a Republican, who would not
figure to be an effective oper-
ator in Democratic circles.
At any rate. in 1899. when the
reported Vaccinations were in
progress, Mr.. Farley says en-
phatically that Il wasn't a can
didate for anything. If the old
man F. D. r. didn't run Cor
dell Hull would have been the
nominee and l might have been
nominated for second place"
might Have Been Better"
Reflectively, he added:
1T might have been better for
the country and the world"
The bulky document released
last night is one Of collection
dealing with German foreign
policy which the allied govern
ments got out Of archives in the
German Foreign Ministry and
Reich Chancellery. and have
since been made public periodi-
cally. The entire lot goes back
TO 1857, but publication has been
limited to the years after 1918.
The present issue covers the
last months Of peace, March
August, 1899.
The Farley incident" revolyes
around trip the then Cabinet
officer and political power made
to Europe with his daughters in
July, 1889. Already. relations
between Mr.. Farley and Presi-
dent Roosevelt were strained.
The Presidents third term cam
didacy was viewed as certain in
some quarters. Mr.. FARLEY was
vigorously opposed to the idea.
The European trip and its pur-
ported connotationS were COW
cred in memorandum BY an
official OF the tGerman) Press
Department" 1t was signed.
simply "Sallet.
Doesn't Recall Name
Nj Farley. noted for his I'M
canny memory for names and
faces. SAYS the name means
nothing but he thinks the in
dlvidual involved may have seen
4 uniformed Nazl who greeted
HIM on arrival in Berlin. yolun-
teered 10 arrange any confer
enceS he desired with German
officials and then put in other
appearances later. This midi
vidual said he had met Mi. Far
ley III Chicago, where he was
German consul.
Nj. Farley was interested only
in visit with Karl Orth. his
counterpart in the Reich Min
istry Of Posts. who had called
on him in Washington.
Herr Sallet. however. obviously
was keeping close eye on the
travelling Farleys. and according
to the Germans own account,
was in the confidence of Mr..
StraSsburger. who was with the
visitors for much of the way.
AS the German related it:
Farley had travelled from New
York through to Hamburg direct.
ANY particularly Germanophlle
gesture which this at first ap-
peared to be, he had not in
tended II appeared to him
merely the shortest way to War
saw Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Strass-
burger Joined him in lie Havre.
Strassburger is a politically in
f1uential American of Pennsyl-
vania German origin who has
been well known to me for years.
Offer Reported Declined
Farley had written to him in
Paris in June that he would like
to meet him in Europe. Farley
controls the Democratic Party
organization. He is we'll liked by
officials OF the party in the
whole country. and Strsssburger
is out to create an open breach
between him and Roosevelt and
thereby fan the opposition
against Roosevelt within the
Democratic Party.
Apart from his salary as Post
master General $4,000 a year,
Farley has no financial means.
He IS also said not to have en-
riched himself unjustly in his
post Srassburger1 offered Far
ley post Of $4,000 a year, in
order TO make the breach with
Roosevelt easier for him. Farley.
after short time for reflection.
declined so he was not then
ready TO break away from Roose-
Welt Whether this would hold
goOd for a third term is not clear.