U.S. PRESIDENCY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 146, 5 June 1936, Page 9

U.S. PRESIDENCY

Mr. Roosevelt’s Curious Position

INTERESTING CAMPAIGN

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright NEW YORK, June 3.

The political campaign for the presidency can be said to have been actually launched tonight, although the Republican Convention, is still a week off and tho Democratic Convention a fortnight off, for it seems fairly well indicated that the Republicans wil> mmiuate Mr Alfred M. T.andcß. This news, coming from Clcremud, where the Republicans will meei, clearly foreshadows the main lines of the presidential contest.

Mr Landon, who combines in himself both mid-west agricultural allegiances with the confidence of the industrial east, may even be chosen on the first ballot. It is understood that bo would be allowed to indicate the vice-pr isidew . tial candidate, tho most prominently mentioned prospects being Senator Vandenburg and Representative Wadsworth.

It seems evident that Mr Landon's supporters’ present strategy will be to obtain the co-operation of Colonel Knox and Senator Borah in writing the platform for the Republicans. As never before, they will strive for un'ty, sound money and adequate but carefully administered relief. Opposition to virtu ally every phase of the New Deal economic philosophy will probably constitute the principal planks.

Nomination of Mr Franklin Roose velt by the Democrats is naturally inevitable, but the problems of strategy with the Democratic Party are enormous. They will bo compelled to ask for re-election on the basis of the first term. Mr Roosevelt is in a curious position: First, while there has been tremendous improvement in economic conditions in tho country, the benefits of such improvement have been uneven; real wages and employment have seriously lagged behind business proHtS and corporate earnings; second, the negation by the Supreme Court of virtually ail his extensive programme of social and experimental economic legislation has virtually destroyed the New Deal, on which Mr Roosevelt must seek re-election and which his eppon cuts will make the chief target of theiattack.

The present campaign promises to bo interesting for a number of reasons, the chief of which, however, will ba the Democratic attitude toward the destruction of tho programme which they have so laboriously devised and which has been so completely negatived. Will the Democrats fight the Republicans or will they oppose the Supreme Court? Will Mr Roosevelt’s banner ask the people to rally round tho old New Deal or promise a new New Deal?