The Presidential election of 1940 is likely to form the subject for discussion for years to come in all histories of the war or of American political practice. The third term tradition has been thrown out of the window, is breach of a tradition which has existe¢ singe the foundation of the republic would never have taken place had there been no grave international crisis; for this reason no history of the war will be complete without 4 discussion of its effect on American domes-tie policy.
When events which occur abroad are the determining feature in an American election, the plea of the isolationists that the eyes of American citizens should never be cast beyond the shores of the United States becomes a little absurd. Tt might be argued that purely domestic issues were the main factor in deciding the country's vote. Yet even if this could be proved true, it would not alter the fact that the only reason which impelled the President to accept the third term nomination was the existence of a war in Europe. Most commentators would 40 Further and say that it was only the existence of a war in Europe which broke down the instinelive feeling among the voters that twelve years in office was too long for any man, Tradition can never be cited in the future as an obstacle to a President secking the nomination for the third time. If the coun-wishes to prevent third terms in. the Future, it will have to pass a Constitutional amendment. Apart from the irrational con sideration that nobody had ever sought el tion three times before, there are no logical reasons against serving for a third term which could not be equally applied to serving for 4 second term. A yood case could be made out against a man holding office and at the same time seeking election to that office. For this reason, the Southern Confederacy limited its president's tenure of office to one term, but extended its length to six years in order {0 avoid too rapid changes in administration. Many of the Latin American countries also adopted the one-term rule. An unexpected result has been that Latin American pres~ dents, finding themselves harved by' law from serving again, have cut the Gordian Knot by abolishing the Constitution. This 1s, however, not a danger which would have to be considered in the United States, should it be decided that presidential terms must
ion.
future be limited to one of six years dura-
Next to the fact that the election smashed the third term tradition, its most interest ing feature was that the only clear division was that between town and country. Pre dent Roosevelt was successful in every state with a big industrial population, while the Republican candidate was only stccess~ ful in those states in which the country and small town vole outweighed the bly vote. Even the fact that the Democratic Viee= President, Mr. Henry Wallace, came from Towa did' not prevent that agricultural state from throwing its vote to Mr, Wendell Willkkic, the Republican candidate. The cynical explanation offered by the defeated Repub= ficant is that the party machine is always more powerful in the eitfes than in the eoun= ry and that such a machine can only be built up to any strength by the party which is in power. Tu New York, however, the Tammany machine took very little part in the election, owing to a feeling among the members that Mr. James Farley, an Trish= man, i Catholic, and a good Tammany man, had not been fairly treated. The explana~ finn also breaks down in New Jersey, wher the existence of the Hague machine probably more of a disadvantage than an advantage {0 the Democrats. President Roosevelt curried the state, it is true, but by a very small majority und Republicans were able to defeat the Democratic machine didates for the other electoral offices, Phe hines probably helped in tlinois' and nuturhl tendency for cons is 10 assume thi the vote constitutes endorsement of a st tain features in the elector this point of view. For example, thou country as a whole registered a greater proportion of Republican votes than at any time in its history, more even than the Hooy landslide of 1928, the majorities in M: and Vermont, two states regarded asthe tered vote. Phere is only one possible explana tion for this New England he an extreme Targe Can:
dian popula h normally but this time owing to the ie for Roosevelt, whose policies wher than for unknown Republican, whose foreign policy might have been less strongly pro-Allied.
for Austin of Vermont, a typical New ud Republican, was, however, re-elected by one of the biggest majorities he has ever obtained, which the Senator himself feels due to the fact that he supported the President's foreign and defence policies long before that] was the popular thing to do.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.