The Pittsburgh Press (November 3, 1944)
How world feels –
Roosevelt’s backing laid to Lend-Lease
Foreign nations hear little of Dewey
By Jay G. Hayden, North American Newspaper Alliance
Washington –
Judging by the foreign newspaper coverage of the American presidential campaign, folks abroad are due for a great shock if on next Wednesday they should receive the news that Governor Thomas E. Dewey has been elected.
The point of the matter is that foreign correspondents in the United States are giving more attention to American politics than ever before, but with a distinctly one-sided slant.
Among the newspapermen accompanying President Roosevelt to New York and Chicago were representatives of Reuters, TASS and the Chinese Central News Service, the government-controlled or subsidized press services respectively of Great Britain, Russia and China.
Dewey almost ignored
Correspondents of several individual British newspapers toured New York and Philadelphia with the President and at least one of them rose the presidential train to Chicago.
No comparable attention has been paid to Mr. Dewey; in fact, his speeches have been reported abroad scarcely at all. One London correspondent relates that he sent a 500-word condensation of Mr. Dewey’s New York foreign policy speech, only to draw a reprimand from his editor for reckless waste of telegraph tolls.
In contrast, several foreign correspondents following Mr. Roosevelt on his New York and Philadelphia tours were sending spot bulletins on how he was received by the crowds.
‘Crazy about Roosevelt’
Explaining the attitude of his editors, one of these correspondents said:
They don’t care what Dewey Says because they don’t think he’s going to be elected, but they’re crazy about Roosevelt. We can’t send enough about him.
This foreign interest in Mr. Roosevelt’s political fortunes is not difficult to fathom.
First and foremost, of course, is the fact that he spurned neutrality, and began helping Britain and France as much as he could from the very start. And when Russia was attacked by Germany, he immediately announced that the same aid would be extended to Russia as to other members of the anti-Axis alliance.
Shipments listed
But there is another matter that presently may be even more in the minds of our foreign friends.
According to the latest report, as of June 30, 1944, goods valued at $21,534,870,000 had been dispensed by the United States under Lend-Lease.
Great Britain received $9,321,549,000; Russia, $5,931,944,000; China and India, §1,402,426,000; Australia and New Zealand, $1,011,885,000; Africa and the Middle East, $3,070,229,000. The rest is scattered among a score of other nations, including those of South America.
Now the time is approaching when the Lend-Lease accounts must be cast up and the final settlement made, and the foreigners are concerned to whom they will be required to settle with. They remember that Republicans led in urging payment of debts after the last war.