AMERICAN PRESIDENCY

Evening Star, Issue 22517, 9 December 1936, Page 13

AMERICAN PRESIDENCY

TACTICS OF NEWSPAPER CAMPAIGN CONDEMNED H.Z. DESCRIBED AS COMMUNISTIC [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, December 8. During his travels in America the Rev. J. R. Blanchard, of St. John’s Church, Wellington, found the recent Presidential election of great interest, and in an 'interview he dealt briefly with the features of the returns and the campaign. Mr Blanchard has been away three months on a health trip, and toured Canada and the United States. ' There were two features of the Presidential election which he thought very significant, Mr Blanchard said. The first was that President Roosevelt had had the biggest Presidential vote that any Presidential candidati had had, but he had also had a very big minority vote cast against him, which indicated that, while he had a sweeping victory, there was still a very strong critical minority. The second thing that impressed him were the forecasts made by competent jpeople that Governor Landbn would obtain a sweeping majority. These forecasts had been made on the basis of Press advocacy throughout the United States, but had not proved correct. One of the Chicago papers in particular, Mr Blanchard said, had not played the game by New Zealand during the campaign. It suggested that New Zealand was a downright Communistic country. This had been used as a weapon to warn the people that if they returned President Roosevelt they would get Communism such as existed in New; Zealand. It was a blatant piece of misrepresentation.