Primaries' End

With little more than a month remaining until the November elections, five primaries last week settled the election lineup. Some good work had been done by the primary votes. Notable nominees:

Honest Judge. Michigan Republicans, by a resounding 2-to-1, rejected Gerald L. K. Smith, who had been doing his best to rouse the rabble within them. They gave their allegiance to Judge Homer Ferguson. By naming a good and honest Judge who had cleaned up much of Detroit's graft and corruption, the Republicans assured the State of a knockdown contest in November between two better-than-average candidates. The Judge's opponent: able Democrat Prentiss M. Brown, now steering the anti-inflation bill through the Senate.

Two other Michigan choices: loudmouthed, reactionary Republican Congressman Clare E. Hoffman, who won renomination early in an outstate rural district; Mrs. Dorothy Kemp Roosevelt (divorced wife of the late Gracie Hall Roosevelt, brother of the President's wife), who got the Democratic nomination to Congress in a suburban Detroit district. Comely, brown-eyed Mrs. Roosevelt, mother of three daughters, concert pianist, once headed the State's WPA music project, beat five opponents, campaigning as an all-out supporter of the Administration and critic of Congress for lagging behind the people on war issues. She faces a hard fight in November: her district has been regularly Republican.

Businessman Politician. New Jersey's Republicans had their closest primary ever. By noon next day Albert Wahl Hawkes, chairman of Congoleum-Nairn, knew that his party had chosen him for U.S. Senator over New Jersey State Aviation Director Gill Robb Wilson. Of his flyer in politics, Industrialist Hawkes says he hopes the voters will think: "Here's a fellow going on 64. Certainly he isn't trying to become a political boss." Albert Hawkes's interests lie in the field of labor relations (he resigned as a management member of the War Labor Board to enter the Senate race). As last year's President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce he traveled 40,000 miles to urge U.S. businessmen to up war production. He believes in strict labor legislation, but likes to conduct his own labor relations by talking to the men themselves.

Last week Nominee Hawkes found out immediately along what lines his campaign would have to be fought. His Democratic opponent, Boss Hague's man William H. Smathers, accused him of having "bought" the nomination. Wrathfully roared Albert Hawkes: "I will take off the gloves and give Senator Smathers the beating he deserves."

Buffoon Manufacturer. In Wisconsin, ten candidates for Governor in all four parties--Democrat, Republican, Progressive and Socialist--campaigned against Republican Governor Julius P. ("The Just") Heil, hoping to capitalize on Heil's buffoonery and isolationist leanings. They lambasted him for failure to spend more than one-fourth of his time on his Governor's duties, for neglecting to call a special session of the legislature to vote funds for civilian defense. Governor Heil, who has made a big success as a manufacturer of everything from oil burners to snowplows (and is proud of it), ignored his critics, boasted that he was "meting out justice to ma and pa." He won his party's nomination easily. Probable November result: his three opponents (Democratic, Progressive and Socialist) will divide the anti-Heil vote, send Julius the Just back for his third term.

Young Lawyer. Mississippi's Democrats were told by the Jackson Daily News that Franklin Roosevelt wanted grey-haired Senator Wall Doxey returned to Washington, that his opponent, hustling James Oliver Eastland, a wealthy lawyer-planter, was too critical of the Senate. The voters, themselves highly critical of the Senate, promptly sent 37-year-old Eastland there again--he had previously occupied Doxey's seat (for 88 days) as Governor-appointed successor to the late Pat Harrison.

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