The Roosevelt Week

When Florida's Senator Claude Pepper won a resounding victory in a State primary last month, political wiseacres reached the solemn conclusion that Franklin Delano Roosevelt's popularity was on the upgrade. When Pennsylvania's Lieut.-Governor Thomas Patrick Kennedy (endorsed by Postmaster Farley), suffered a defeat in a State primary last week, political wiseacres reached the conclusion that Franklin Roosevelt's popularity was on the downgrade. Four days later, an Oregon primary election caused their judgment to be reversed.

At this rate, before the primary season is over, a terrific toll of cerebration will have been taken among political commentators. But if Franklin Roosevelt is a major issue in State primaries, it is impossible to calculate precisely: 1) how much he affects the results, and 2) how much the results reflect national trends. As far as the personal popularity and political prestige of Franklin Roosevelt are concerned, direct evidence is more important. Last week's most relevant evidence was a release made by FORTUNE of preliminary figures of its forthcoming (July) Survey. Since the FORTUNE Survey predicted the 1936 election results with an error of less than 1%, it is probably as accurate a political indicator as any now known.

This Survey now shows on almost complete returns that 54.7% of the electorate approve Mr. Roosevelt, 34.4% disapprove and 10.9% "don't know." This indicates practically no change in popular sentiment since 1936. As to Congress, 47.2% think it should work more closely with the President, and 40.6% prefer it to behave independently. FORTUNE'S conclusion: "Whether business can stand two, four or six years more of what Mr. Roosevelt stands for is beside the point, Business may have no choice in the matter. For the chances that any important number of Mr. Roosevelt's men will be defeated in the primaries this year are very slim."

P: Wearing a crimson necktie and a blue band on his straw hat, the President, accompanied by Mrs. Roosevelt, Sons James & John and a party of friends, motored to Annapolis to watch the Adams Cup regatta from the bow of the launch of Rear Admiral Wilson Brown--his former naval aide, now superintendent of the Naval Academy. As a graduate of Harvard and the Navy Department, the President could be two-thirds sure of being on the winning side in every race. Sizzling comfortably in the hot sunshine, the party saw Harvard's freshman and varsity, Navy's junior varsity win three races on the sparkling Severn.

P: The President signed the Navy Expansion Bill--authorizing a $1,156,000,000, 20% increase of 46 warships, 26 auxiliaries and 950 planes--asked Congress to appropriate $23,875,000 to begin construction on a dirigible, twelve new boats, a "mosquito fleet," improvements in three Navy yards, and to purchase nine four-engine patrol planes.

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