Dewey lashes Red support of Roosevelt
‘Ism’ label attached to President’s program
Charleston, West Virginia (UP) – (Oct. 7)
Governor Thomas E. Dewey charged tonight that President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s reelection “is essential to the aims of Communists” and that the present Democratic national administration plans a “government-owned America.”
Speaking to an overflow crowd at Municipal Auditorium, Mr. Dewey said the Roosevelt administration is “developing its own corporate state” which is “not an American system and it’s not a free system.” The crowd was estimated by police at 6,000, with more than 1,000 standing in a park adjacent the auditorium.
Frequently Mr. Dewey was interrupted by shouts of “Attaboy, Tom,” “Give him more, Tom,” and “Pour it on.” It was one of the most enthusiastic crowds of his campaign.
‘Not my program’
The GOP nominee quoted Assistant Secretary of State Adolf Berle as saying that “over a period of years, the government will gradually come to own most of the productive plants in the United States.”
He asked:
What does he mean by the government owning most of the productive plants of the United States? That means, of course a system where government would tell each of us where we would work, at what job and for how much.
Now, I do not know whether my opponent calls that system Communism or National Socialism or Fascism. He can take it any way he likes it. It’s his program, not mine. But I do know it is not an American system and it’s not a free system.
Concentrates on Browder
The Governor was given a prolonged ovation when he and Mrs. Dewey appeared on the huge auditorium stage, which seats about 1,500 people. It was unusually warm, and most of the crowd were trying to keep cool with makeshift fans.
Mr. Dewey concentrated much of his attack on Earl Browder, Communist leader, whom he charged “had been pardoned” to participate in Mr. Roosevelt’s fourth-term campaign.
Mr. Dewey asked:
Now, why is my opponent’s election so essential to the aims of the Communists? The answer is right in the record of this administration.
Little by little, the New Deal is developing its own form of corporate state. It becomes clear why the twice-convicted Comrade Browder and his friends are so eager for the reelection of my opponent. There is another reason. They love to fish in troubled waters. Their aims can best be served by unemployment and discontent.
Points to ownership
Mr. Dewey charged that at present there are 55 government corporations and credit agencies with net assets of $27 billion. The federal government, he added, owns or operates one-fifth of the manufacturing plants in the country.
The Governor not only accused Mr. Roosevelt of disavowing “too late” the support of various groups but also of seeking the backing of “a solid block of votes in states where millions of American citizens are deprived of their right to vote by the poll tax and by intimidation.”
Prior to Mr. Dewey’s talk, U.S. Senator Chapman Revercomb (R-WV) assailed the activities of Mr. Browder and Sidney Hillman, head of the CIO Political Action Committee.
Mr. Revercomb said:
Mr. Roosevelt may deny connection with these groups again, and again, but who earnestly in his heart does not believe that he works hand in hand with them. A man must be judged by the company he keeps.
Mr. Revercomb said that the “war is going to be won by the military and the boys over there and not by any political leader in America.” He then pointed to Mr. Dewey’s pledge to maintain the military leadership in event of a Republican victory.
Assails Roosevelt
Determined to carry his fight for the White House to Mr. Roosevelt, Mr. Dewey wasted no time in attacking the President’s political campaign. He charged that Mr. Roosevelt was attempting to “play politics with the soldier vote,” but he said he was certain that the percentage of the soldier voters would be greater than the percentage of the civilian ballot markers.
Mr. Dewey said the President attempted to “softly deny” he wanted the support of the Communists but charged the “soft disclaimer” came “a trifle late.”
Mr. Dewey added:
Only last week in Madison Square Garden, Earl Browder, the head of the Communist Party in America, proclaimed to 15,000 cheering adherents that the election of my opponent was essential to his aims.
This is the same Earl Browder, now a patriot, who was convicted as a draft dodger in the last war, convicted again as a perjurer and pardoned by Franklin Roosevelt in time to organize the campaign for his fourth term. The soft disclaimer does come a little late.
‘Cynically silent’
Mr. Dewey also charged that the Democrats were replying on a “solid block of votes in states where millions of American citizens are deprived of their right to vote by the poll tax and by intimidation.”
He added:
Not once in 12 years has my opponent lifted a finger to correct this and his platform is cynically silent on the subject.
He also accused Mr. Roosevelt of attempting to “play politics with the soldier vote” and predicted that the average vote from servicemen would be even larger than the civilian vote.
The GOP standard-bearer reiterated that a Republican victory would mean no change in the country’s military leadership and added the promise that forming the peace would continue on a nonpartisan basis. He said he planned to retain the help of the ablest Americans of both parties.
Bungling charged
Mr. Dewey said the national administration had “bungled its way into conversion for production” and that the war effort had been “hampered by open warfare” among the various governmental agencies.
Mr. Dewey said that thus far in the presidential campaign he had laid down a definite program while his Democratic opponent had resorted to “glittering generalities, ghosts of the dead past and wisecracks” and continued:
We have had no answer because, in truth, as the New Deal itself has said, it wants a government-owned America. It has no solution.
Program outlined
The Governor recalled that he had promised to:
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Restore the Department of Labor with “an able and experienced man from the ranks of labor at its head,” and guaranteed the continuation of free collective bargaining.
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Work for a lasting peace through an international organization with adequate force to back it up.
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Expand social security to all the people.
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Conduct a government which has equal respect for the rights of agriculture, labor, business, and for every race, creed and color.
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Bring about greater expansion of the nation’s agricultural resources.
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Lower personal income taxes and levies on incorporated business along with elimination of most nuisance taxes.
