Evening star., 1938-05-27
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.


When Harry L. Hopkins makes an
effort to influence the voters Of Iowa to
support Representative Wearin against
Senator Gillette. is the w. P. A. in
politics? The answer is; Of course it's
in politics. And If Senator Gillette
should write to Mr.. Hopkins as head Of
the w. P. A. and demand that some
thing be done about officers and en-
ployes of the relief organization who are
interfering with the Democratic pri-
mary in Iowa, will Mr.. Hopkins fire
himself?
Charge after charge has been made
that the w. P. A. is used for political
purposes. No one has ever been able
to get an open investigation OF the
charges, although several members OF
Congress have demanded one. Always 1t
has been said that Mr.. Hopkins would
make an investigation and that If there
were any evidences of political activity
on the part of w. P. A. workers, they
would be dealt with. Now and then
several workers have been removed or
transferred. But there has not been
anything to show on which side of the
fence these workers were working.
y X
But Mr.. Hopkins stuck his own neck
out when he gave an inquiring reporter,
representing the Des Moines Register
and Tribune. concise statement to the
effect that II he, Hopkins. could vote in
Iowa, he would vote for Representative
Wearin. The statement was made to
influence votes, or 1t would not have been
made. Furthermore. it was made de-
liberately. Mr.. Wearin had suggested
that the Washington correspondent OF
the Des Moines newspaper 60 to Mr..
Hopkins and get statement. The state
ment was forthcoming. There Is reason
to believe that 1t was intended for pub
lication only in IoWa-and that the ma
tional publicity now given the incident
was totally unexpected.
Senator Gillette is the first Democratic
Senator who opposed the Presidents
bill to increase the membership Of the
Supreme Court to come up for renomina-
ton this year. The administration
forces are out to get him, if they can.
There are reports that Tommy Corcoran,
the Presidents adviser, has interested
himself in this Iowa situation: that he
has sought to build up sentiment against
Senator Gillette and for Mr. Wearin, who
has been 100 per cent pro-New Deal, at
least since he decided to become a
senatorial candidate.
~ **
There were two officials of the admin
istration whose help Mr.. Wearin and
those who are aiding him believed Of
great value One was Mr.. Hopkins, the
relief administrator, and the other was
Secretary Wallace of the Department Of
Agriculture. Secretary Wallace is from
Iowa. He is the man who deals out the
farm benefits; the checks for carrying
out the Governments agricultural pro-
gram. Mr.. Hopkins is the other public
benefactor, who puts out the relief
checks. Secretary Wallace would take
no part in this intra party fight between
Senator Gillette and Representative
Wearin. Whatever his reason for de-
clining, he has kept himself out of the
kind of mess in which Mr.. Hopkins now
finds himself. 1t is believed that Mr..
Corcoran has sought either directly or
indirectly to influence Mr.. Wallace to
come out for Wearin. But Mr.. Wallace
has said nothing.
The Iowa primary takes place June
6, one week from Monday. Five candi-
dates are running in the Democratic
primary for the senatorial nomination.
Under the State law, candidate must
receive IS per cent of the vote cast OF
more to be declared the nominee Of g
political party. If none Of the candia
dates receive IS per cent Of the vote,
the matter OF selecting candidate goes
to Democratic State convention. l.
is clear, therefore, that II the adminis-
tration does not get" Senator Gillette
by nominating its choice Representative
Wearin, in his place, it will be able to de-
feat him in State convention. The State
convention. by the way is not compelled
to nominate one of the candidates who
ran in the primary. 1t may go entirely
outside of these candidates and pick
any one it desires.
In addition to Senator Gillette and
Representative Wearin, j. j. Meyers OF
Fort Dodge is a candidate for the sena-
torial nomination, and two other minor
candidates are in the field. 1t is possible
that the vote will be so split that none
receives as many as IS per cent Of the
vote. If that be the case and the selec-
ton goes to the State convention, the
senatorial nomination may 60 to Gov.
N. G. Kraschel, rated New Dealer.
Gov. Kraschel is a candidate to succeed
himself, but there is reason to believe
he would like to become Senator and
also that he would be more formidable
candidate for the Senate than for Gov
ernor. 1t. Gov. John K. Valentine, an
up and coming young politician, would
in that event be nominated for Governor,
1t is said. Neither Kraschel nor Valen-
tine has opposition in the primary for
denomination. So the plan could work
out, If the State convention should be
called to name a senatorial candidate.
Iowans here think that the Hopkins
statement indorsing Representative
Wearin will be of assistance to him In
his race against Senator Gillette-de-
spite the wall that has gone up and the
indignation expressed by number OF
Democratic Senators and others. They
think it will be Of assistance to him for
the very reason that Mr.. Wearin himself
believed it would be help-that Iowans
on w. P. A. relief will realize that they
had better support Wearin if they are
to keep on getting relief. That is look
ing at the practical side Of the picture.
Mr.. Hopkins, apparently, can see no
wrong in his announcement for the NOM
ination Of Representative Wearin. It is
explained on his behalf that he and Mr..
Wearin are both graduates Of Grinnell
College in Iowa: that Mr. Hopkins is q