WHITE HOUSE COALITION PLAN APPEALS TO FDR, IS REPORT FORM WASHINGTON
Mobely, Radford E.
White House Coalition Plan Appeals to FDR, Is Report from Washington Says GOP Tie-up W'ould Assure 'Carry-Through' of Foreign Policy By RADFORD E. MOBLEY WASHINGTON, D. C.—While Republican leaders...
...Ohio, himself a presidential candidate, and Rep...
...A tired chief executive gave a party for newspapermen, an annual affair, in the capital this week...
...Bob Taft...
...White House Coalition Plan Appeals to FDR, Is Report from Washington Says GOP Tie-up W'ould Assure 'Carry-Through' of Foreign Policy By RADFORD E. MOBLEY WASHINGTON, D. C.—While Republican leaders shy from white house coalition talk, this unprecedented idea in American politics Is said to ap]>eal strongly at the moment to Pres...
...which might have led to the latter's resignation...
...James Wads-worth, New York, a dark horse possibility for the nomination...
...Most cogent reasons appealing to the white house 'are: 1. The aggressor nations will be informed that the United States foreign policy will "carry through" during the next few years, and there will be no Wil-son-to-Harding break...
...State department officials are informed that Germany keeps its finger on the pulse of American politics, watching the growth of pro-Ally sentiment, now stronger than it was in 1916...
...Chances for a ruckus would be lessened by the calibre of men to be chosen and by the nature of the times...
...hoping for its decline...
...His chief fear, they say, is not the political consequences, nor a dominating man's reluctance to yield power, but a fear as to what might be done to his domestic program of social security legislation and labor laws...
...Republican leaders frowned on the suggestion of a national-committee-hired speaker that a Republican be placed on a coalition ticket as vice-president, but the Democrats would give quick consideration to such a proposal from more authoritative sources...
...Two Republican leaders in congress have shown every disposition to cooperate with the New Deal policy toward the war...
...Hoover has been running his personal relief campaigns and apparently has received no invitations from the white house...
...Landon...
...Frank Knox, who composed the Republican presidential ticket in 1936, have refused to enter the Roosevelt cabinet on invitation, although Col...
...Roosevelt is said recently to have had a spat with his secretary of war, Mr...
...He greeted his guests cordially, but retired quietly very early, bidding his guests continue their dancing...
...It was revealing that the dispute concerne...
...needed if unity of policy with nation-wide backing is to be obtained...
...Wilson struggled along during the days leading to it, and after we entered the struggle, with a cabinet strikingly similar in ability and prestige to the present one...
...New Dealers of the zealous type, highly aware of this fact, continue to urge the coalition, and by their insistence make it less likely...
...This, of course, shows an element of politics in the administration strategy...
...a matter on which the president had already decided, but concerning which Secretary Woodring had not concurred...
...Washington sees little chance that Roosevelt would dare draw such figures as Herbert Hoover and Wendell Willkie into his cabinet, although it is just such men who would be...
...The president would be assured of the whip hand...
...The president is running his own army and navy, and his own state department with the aid of an agreeable Hull, although it is difficult to conceive how even a Roosevelt possesses the essential grasp for this tremendous task...
...Was Little Aid Secretary of War Newton D. Baker did fill key positions in his department with Republicans, to get their aid, but the cabinet remained strictly a party affair, and was of little assistance to the harassed chief executive...
...the ayes have it...
...Former Gov...
...But at the present writing the head of his party...
...Their aspirations did not prevent them from supporting changes in the neutrality laws to aid the Allies and to give spoken approval to other presidential steps...
...The present cabinet is not a happy family and hasn't been for many months, due to the third term issue...
...Wiseacres here would be little more surprised if Roosevelt turned over the army to Columnist Hugh Johnson and the navy so Columnist Bob Allen...
...Fear Third Term The Republican refusal is based on the knowledge that their formal action would make a third term virtually certain...
...It is certain now that the coalition move will go about as far as the Republicans will permit it to go...
...During the last war, Pres...
...the national chairman, John Hamilton, and the various national committeemen are opposed to coalition...
...There is still considerable argument over whether Wilson or Harding was somewhat responsible for the present situation abroad...
...But there was something muted about the orchestra, something subdued about the dancers, —the thought was in the air of the tired man sleeping perhaps fitfully overhead...
...woodring...
...Roosevelt, who has had no fear of breaking precedents during the years he has been in office...
...Secretary of the Interior Franklin Lane made these notes in his diary: "For two weeks we have spent our lime largely In telling stories . . . Another cabinet meeting and no light as to what our policy will be regarding Germany . . Today's meeting resulted in nothing, although in Europe...
...Recall the efforts of Wilson's cabinet to overrule a sick man, and Lincoln's famous: "There are seven noes and one aye...
...Knox is lending full assistance to the preparedness program of this administration...
...2. A cabinet composed of best minds of both parties would contrast with the idea-less present group which rarely assists the chief executive in making important decisions demanded almost daily...
...Landon is said to have predicated his co-operation In a coalition government on the demand that Roosevelt announce now he will not seek another term, an announcement which the president's friends say he cannot make at...
...Undoubtedly a two-party cabinet of ablest leaders would knit the country more closely behind the policies In Washington, and would be of Invaluable aid at present to a heavily burdened president...
...On matters affecting preparedness and international policy, Secretaries Perkins, Hopkins, Edison, Farley and Wallace might just as well be scribbling the idle notes of Franklin Lane as they sit in the weekly meetings...
...A real "war" cabinet of the best minds, and not the subservient cabinet of today, would be much better for the nation in the opinion, even, of many thoughtful Republicans who are willing to run November risks for immediate national good, and who believe the country, already showing a Republican trend, will continue the trend if their party shows a willingness to co-operate in a policy to be maintained throughout this war...
...There are some who insist, however, that the president himself isn't playing politics m this matter...
...we have trouble...
...But In setting the precedent of a two-party cabinet, the chief executive would be expected to agree to a coalition policy for a stated period, and to divide responsibility...
...The Hitler government is quite versed with our system, and aware that Roosevelt's policies may end in November...
...The New Dealers feel they would have little trouble in defeating Lanoon and Knox again...
...The position of Herbert Hoover would be highly interesting if known...
...3. Even if the political campaign w-as ruled out of a coaLition agreement, the New Deal would have a much belter chance for certain victory In November...
...These are Sen...
...If these men would come in sincerely willing to co-operate at this time, the president would be disposed to move over...
...The president already has indicated his willingness to place members of that party in key cabinet posts...
...Alt Landon and Col...
...present...
Vol. 10 • June 1940 • No. 22
