Roosevelt Renounced

Last week two great journalistic institutions formally renounced allegiance to Franklin Roosevelt. They were the Baltimore Sun and Walter Lippmann.

Returning to his column in the New York Herald Tribune after a two-month vacation, Pundit Lippmann, long one of the President's most sympathetic critics, flatly announced: "I am going to vote for Governor Landon." His reason: There are no great issues between the two Parties. Both accept what the Supreme Court has left of the New Deal. But whereas President Roosevelt has unnecessarily alienated the support of Business and established a personal and factional government, Governor Landon, if elected, will be checked by a Democratic Senate, hence forced to constitute a Government of "national union" such as the parlous times demand.

Cried Nominee Landon from a back platform few days later: "This is going to be a . . . campaign for good government participated in by Republicans and Democrats and Independents."

Inquired President Roosevelt when asked at a press conference for comment on Pundit Lippmann's decision: "Has he started again? He must have had a good holiday."

The Sun, which in 99 years of supporting Democratic Presidential candidates has been unable to stomach only William Jennings Bryan in 1896 and 1908, did not go so far as Pundit Lippmann. Never more vigorously oldline Democratic than in its indictment of the Roosevelt ventures toward planned economy and its confession of faith in low tariff, State rights, "economic liberalism," the Sun forlornly concluded:

"If Governor Landon speaks in clear and bold terms, facing specific problems and taking his stand unequivocally on the side of this true economic liberalism, The Sun will support him, no matter what his prospects may be. If he does not speak in clear tones, The Sun intends to continue to fight for ideas that it believes to be sound and in the interest of the people, and will make the best of a situation in which it cannot advocate the election of either candidate."

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