The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-09-21

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 And in the eastern United States, perhaps even in the South and west, he was relatively un- known.
 Within the next few days, how ever, Claude Wickard received 800 congratulatory messages, only a few less than Wallace received on his nomination for Vice President. Claude stayed up until 3 a. m. reading them. He was that pleased.
 All of which illustrates the fact that although newspapermen may not have heard of Wickard, thou sands of farmers not only have heard of him, but have gripped his hand and know him personally.
 Wickard looks and acts much like a farmer. Once when a group of Agriculture Dept. officials were driving near Washington, they got into a conversation with a Maryland farmer, who after looking them over said: You may all be from the Department, but there's only one who is a real farmer, and that's this one.
 HE POINTED TO WICKARD.
 Unquestionably the fact that Wickard was farmers farmer, particularly an Indiana farmers farmer, had lot to do with his appointment as Secretary of Ag- riculture. The political strategy was to offer Wickard in contrast to Willkie as what a "reaP h. diana farmer should be.
 HOW HE GOT JOB
 Beyond this there was no great reason for making Wickard Sec retary of Agriculture, except that he was next in line as Under Sec retary. Wickard had worked up to this job from a relatively ob- scure position in the corn-hag section of the AAA. Here he proved himself to be amiable, hard working and soon was pro- noted to be assistant chief of the | corn-hog section.
 In this capacity one of his jobs was to meet state farm committees which came to Washington to dis cuss their problems. With them he spoke the same language, n- creased his popularity.
 Later Wickard became chief of the corn-hog section and was sent to the Middle West to explain the AAA program. There he proved himself both good listener and a good expounder. After Tugwells ten-dollar words, his plain talk sounded good to dirt farmers. So at least once a month Wickard packed his bag and set out for a trip through the corn-hog states. POLITICAL CAMPAIGNER
 The list of states is important especially in an election year: Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michi- gan, Iowa, Nebraska, South Da- kota, Missouri and Kansas. For the most part, these are tradi- tionally Republican. But Wick ard has shaken so many hands in these states that the New Deal figures many a corn-hog farmer, otherwise ready to vote for Will kie, will not vote against Wickard.
 There is no Republican streak in the new Secretary of Agricul-
 ture as there was in Wallace, whose father was Secretary of Agriculture in the Harding cabi- net. "Fm a Democrat from way back" he says. Both my father and my grandfather were
 named Andrew Jackson Wick ard" Asked if he knew that
 WllIkie was an Indiana farmer,
 he says, "Never heard of him
 ont there. He's just q Wall
 Street boy trying to make good on the farm"
 Wickard says these things with a boyish grin. He speaks incau-- tiously, still new at the job, and not having been burned yet. Where Wallace is shy and self conscious, Wlckarh is hale-fellow and hearty. He suffers from no inhibitlons. lie is more conyivial than Wallace. but less of c thinker. Wallace Is two-fisted phil- osopher.
 NO FANCY LANGUAGE
 Some time ago Wickard went out io Momenee, fll., to speak at c gladlolus festival, and happened to tell Jim Le Cron, one Of Wal. faces secretaries, that he was zoe ine to talk about "eladi.O.Ias".
 T hope yoH won't pronounce