The Pittsburgh Press (September 10, 1944)
Governor Dewey expects ‘fill-in’ from Québec
Looks to session of Roosevelt, Churchill
Lansing, Michigan (UP) – (Sept. 9)
Governor Thomas E. Dewey, carrying his campaign for the Presidency into his native Michigan, said tonight that he expected to be kept “fully informed” on conversations between President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill as a step toward maintaining a nonpartisan approach to international security.
The Republican presidential nominee made the statement at a press conference shortly after he arrived from Louisville, Kentucky, where last night he called for nonpartisan discussion of plans for preventing future wars.
Private discussion
His remarks were prompted by a reporter who said his newspaper was going to suggest that Mr. Dewey attend a meeting between the President and Mr. Churchill expected to take place soon at Québec.
“Well,” Mr. Dewey said, “I never invite myself to private discussions.”
The New York Governor declined to say whether he interpreted an agreement between Secretary of State Cordell Hull and John Foster Dulles, Mr. Dewey’s foreign affairs advisor, to mean that the GOP candidate would participate in such a conference as the planned Roosevelt-Churchill meeting.
Information promised
He said:
All I can say is the understanding between Hull and Dulles has been stated that Dulles is to be kept fully informed as to the progress of negotiations for the formation of a world organization and for sanctions to be imposed upon the defeated powers.
Another questioner asked:
Assuming the Québec Conference is chiefly in regard to strategy and military operations, do you think in view of a possible change of administrations that the possible new administration should be kept informed of such broad strategy as will come up?
Mr. Dewey replied:
It is to be hoped the war with Germany will be over long before the next administration takes office Jan. 20, and that the progress of the Japanese war will be so far along that any plans made will be well advanced, if not completely executed, before Jan. 20.
To visit mother
After a round of conferences with political leaders and representatives of various other groups here, Mr. Dewey will go to Owosso, his birthplace, and will spend the weekend with his mother, Mrs. George M. Dewey.
The Governor will leave Owosso tomorrow to resume a campaign trip across the country that will be marked with major political talks at Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Oklahoma City before he returns to Albany Sept. 28.