Candidate Up

A great anomaly of 1939 was that in a year of unprecedented preparedness, Franklin Roosevelt chose to get along first with an ailing, aging Secretary of the Navy, and then with none at all after old Claude Swanson died last July. Assistant Secretary Charles Edison eased along as Acting Secretary, waited hopefully for the full title. The President let him wait, meantime let Washington gossips go to the lengths of rumoring that Republican Frank Knox would get the call in the interests of National Unity.

In the interests of something much more prosaic, Franklin Roosevelt last week gave the nod to faithful Mr. Edison. Democratic politicos in New Jersey (including, of all people, Jersey City Boss Frank Hague) have put New Dealish Charlie Edison up for Governor. Lately they have told the President in no uncertain terms that as a candidate next fall Mr. Edison would be sadly handicapped if he were passed over in his own department. The President heeded, last week announced that the son of late, great Thomas Alva Edison will be the 45th Secretary of the Navy. The wise in Washington did not waste much time and breath on the continual debate as to whether Charles Edison is an effective naval administrator. Onetime (1913-20) Assistant Secretary Franklin Roosevelt has been heard to say that he is his own Secretary of the Navy.

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