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Willkie: ". . . The . . . speech of the third-term candidate [in] defense of his own Administration . . was strikingly similar to the defense system . . . that he is building for these United States today. It was either obsolete or on order. It was obsolete for the reason that it discussed the issues of the 1932 campaign. It was on order because it promised jobs to you and the right to work."
Roosevelt: "We will not . . . send our Army, naval or air forces to fight in foreign lands outside of the Americas except in case of attack."
Willkie: "I hope . . . that that pledge ... is remembered by him longer than he remembered the same pledge that he made with reference to the provisions of the Democratic platform of 1932. If he does not remember it longer, then shortly our boys will be on the transports, sailing for some foreign shore."
Counterattack. Early this week, when his chance came at Manhattan's Madison Square Garden, Candidate Roosevelt did not rebut the rebuttal—he counterattacked. Taking as his text the vulnerable defense record of Republicans in Congress:
"I now brand as false the statement being made by Republican campaign orators, day after day and night after night, that the rearming of America was slow, that it is hamstrung and impeded, that it will never be able to meet threats from abroad. . . .
"For example, deeply concerned over what was happening in Europe, I asked the Congress, in January 1938, for a naval expansion of 20%—46 additional ships and 950 new planes. What did the Republican leaders do when they had this chance to increase our national defense almost three years ago? . . .
"In those days they thought that the way to win votes was by representing this Administration as extravagant in national defense, indeed, as hysterical and as manufacturing panics and inventing foreign dangers.
"But now in the serious days of 1940 all is changed! . . .
"On the radio these Republican orators swing through the air with the greatest of ease; but the American people are not voting this year for the best trapeze performer. . . .
"I recommended that the Congress repeal the embargo on the shipment of armaments and munitions to nations at war, and permit such shipment on a 'cash-and-carry basis.' . . .
"Just to name a few, the following Republican leaders voted against the act —Senators McNary, Vandenberg, Nye and Johnson; Congressmen Martin, Barton and Fish" (see p. 11).
One Issue. That this attack was not directly aimed at Opponent Willkie, but at some of his supporters, made it only slightly less effective oratorical ammunition. As a whole the debate was fought by both candidates on the bad past record of the other side. On important present issues they seldom came to grips. On only one such issue did both declare themselves, although mostly by implication: Candidate Roosevelt insisted that the New Deal's methods of dealing with business had been necessary for the welfare of labor and business alike; Candidate Willkie maintained that neither social advances nor defense could be made secure until business was given a chance to increase the national wealth.