AMERICAN ELECTIONS

Evening Star, Issue 25941, 5 November 1946, Page 6

AMERICAN ELECTIONS

REPUBLICANS CONFIDENT OF SUCCESS

BOTH SIDES BIDDING FOR EX-SERVICEMEN'S VOTES

NEW YORK, Nov. 4. Between 34,000,000 and 40,000,000 Americans, in 47 States are expected to vote to-morrow for the “ Fateful Eightieth ” Congress, which will meet on March 3. Only once in modern history—in 1934—has the majority party gained seats in a mid-term election, and only twice has a party which won a mid-term election failed to'elect a President two years later. j Thus, as the Democrats hold only narrow majorities, in both Houses and are widely believed to bo at their weakest since. the landslide to Mr Roosevelt in 1932, the' Republicans; are, confident of House, or" at least increasing their. Senate repre-' sentation and paving the Way to elect, a Republican' President in 1948. Themajority party automatically takes the Speakership in both Houses and the chairmanship of all committees. DEADLOCK POSSIBLE. The Truman Administration has been frefiuently rebuffed by an "unofficial coalition of Republicans and Southern; Democrats, and if a .hostile Congress is .elected for the remaining two.years of President Truman’s term a legislative deadlock will probably ensue. Foreign policy is, however, substantially bipartisan, and if the House or Senate or both went Republican the foreign policy might not . greatly change. The state of the parties when the Congress rose was: Senate: Democrats 56, Republicans 39, Progressive 1. House of Representatives: Democrats . 236, Republicans 192, Progressive 1, American Labour 1, vacancies 5. The Republicans need ,to gain 10 seats to win a majority in the Senate, which is a more difficult feat than gaining the 26 seats necessary to control the House. ROUTINE ISSUES.

There has been no dominant personality in the national campaign, with few big moments and little emotional appeal. Foreign affairs are scarcely involved except by Republican attempts to stigmatise the Democrats as enjoying Communist sympathy, and the issues have been of the _ routine or local variety, with housing and other shortages in the forefront. The Republicans are hotly attacking the Administration for the of controls, which, except on rent, .were steadily abandoned throughout the electoral campaign and earlier.. ' Both sides are ardently seeking the. vote ol 12,500.000 ex-servicemen and women of the Second World War. The Democrats are running 199 ex-service candidates,, and the Republicans 196. For the Democrats- much depends on whether the big city labour vote can be brought out. The labour vote, however, is not solidly, democratic. The president of the American Federation of Labour, Mr William Green, aslked his supporters to defeat all Congressmen who 'backed anti-Labour legislation, and the leaders of the C. 1.0. Political Action Committee have demanded the defeat 6f the reactionaries of both parties. The Democrats give warning that a (Republican victory would lead America back towards the Hooverism of the depression years, to reaction, and to big business domination. They, are stressing full ’ employment and increased production, in spite • of the strikes of which the Republicans made capital in allegations of Government pampering, of labour. The Republicans have made, national use of the slogan, “ Haven’t'you had enough?”, They advocate free economy, denounce reckless Government spending, and promise a capable, honest Government, replacing “ controls, confusion, corruption, and Com--munism.”