The Pittsburgh Press (July 28, 1944)
Wooing conservatives?
Stokes: Bricker veers away from GOP platform
Foreign policy stand at odds with Dewey’s
By Thomas L. Stokes, Scripps-Howard staff writer
Washington –
The Republican Party is about to get itself in the positions of playing both sides of the street, which is nothing new in politics, and sometimes it pays dividends.
This was indicated in the press conference Governor Bricker, the vice-presidential candidate, held at Albany during his visit with Governor Dewey.
The Ohio Governor said he still stood by the speeches he made in his pre-convention campaign for the presidential nomination. That is consistency, but it would seem to put him in conflict with the party platform on some points of both domestic and foreign policy, according to many interpretations, though the Governor himself does not see it that way.
Opposes foreign alliances
Without going into details, it seems fairly clear that Governor Bricker was more conservative on domestic policy in his speeches than is the platform. And as for foreign policy, he has reiterated his adamant opposition to any sort of international police force which would seem to be suggested by the party platform in the vague phrase “peace forces.”
Also, he has been hazy about post-war international collaboration, and he opposes any sort of alliance or arrangement with the other powers, such as Governor Dewey has advocated as a first step in peace plans.
Whether intentionally or not, governor Bricker became the focus of such “nationalist” or “isolationist” forces as were present at the Chicago convention.
Takes definite stand
His leaning certainly seemed that way to anyone who has sat before him at press conferences in recent weeks, as I have, and heard his replies to questions treating all phases of post-war international policy. That was the general impression. Nor did he try to evade or dodge. He was forthright.
The inference is that he is willing to remain the section of the Republican ticket to which the isolationists can rally, while the presidential candidate and the platform point in another direction. Governor Dewey declined to be drawn into the discussion.
Significant of Governor Bricker’s general attitude was his reply to a question as to whether he would welcome the support of John L. Lewis for the Republican ticket.
All support ‘welcome’
He said:
We welcome all support of the Republican ticket. At least I do. That’s the way you win elections by getting votes. If they agree with you and vote for you, well and good.
He was then asked about Gerald L. K. Smith. “His vote will be counted, if he votes for the Republican ticket,” he replied.
The confusion created by this sort of attitude was illustrated by a dispatch from Detroit in which Mr. Smith was quoted as saying that Governor Bricker had said the Republicans would welcome America First support, which was not what the Ohio Governor had said. But it indicates what follows such statements.