Evening star., 1940-12-22

UnQer wallace QlTeCL1On ana LIle lOTCe
of circumstance the activities of the
Department of Agriculture have rapidly
expanded, until now the Department is
huge enterprise covering almost every
phase of human activity. From time to
time it has been reported that hardboiled
politicians had taken over the farm ben
eft program and built tough political
machine but such reports have never been
substantiated For all his genuine ideal
ism Mr.. Wallace has named shrewd men
with practical political sense to import
ant administrative posts in his Depart
ment. When he "purged" Jerome Frank,
Gardner Jackson and other liberals from
the A. A. A. he was widely accused of
having surrendered to right-wing poll
ticians whom he had placed in key po-
sitions.
No Corcoran Insider.
Mr.. Wallace has never been one of
the so-called inner New Deal circle. The
conspicuous New Dealers such as Tommy
Corcoran and Secretary Of the Interior
! Ickes have not been his intimates. Often
:
minded Middlewesterner. That is why
his choice for second place at the Chicago
convention came as something of a sur
prise even to those close to the White
House. And there was no little bitter
ness among some of the Presidents ad-
visers that this outsider" should have
been chosen.
Enr t1oy thA it,lt ltv,iI,1 a1
Mr.. Wallace is a religious man. And his
religion does not consist merely in going
! to church. He has had a deep religious
experience. Attending the Episcopal
Church, singing in the choir when he is
not too crowded for time, Mr.. Wallace Is
sustained and upheld by his religion.
! For many years he had deep interest
in beliefs other than Christianity and a
sharp curiousity about mystical expert
ence. During the recent campaign cer-
| tain newspapers obtained letters which
Mr.. Wallace had exchanged with friend
about Bhuddism, Mithraism. Lamaism
| and other Eastern cults. These letters
were felt to be damaging to Mr. Wallace,
presenting him as too preoccupied with
| tIlC OISOlt. 1llCy WClC llCfCl uScu dllu
| Mr. Wallace's friends say many of them
were forgeries
| The Secretary of Agriculture in 1885
designated Nicholas Roerich, former
head of the Roerich Museum in New
York, to head an expedition to Mon
| golia and Tibet in search of grasses that
could be transplanted to drouth areas in
the United States. Mr.. Roerich is also
said to have investigated. whether with
or without Mr. Wallace's authority. Ger
tain occult manifestations in that far
part of the world. Subsequently he was
recalled by the Secretary.
Pre-occupied With World Crisis.
That interest has long since abated
In recent years he has been pre-occupied
with the grave political and economic
problems facing America in q time of
world crisis. He is student of Thor
stein Veblen; the Norwegian-Am
economist whose writings, ignored dur
ing his lifetime, have recently come into
great prominence Mr. Wallace wrote an
introduction to new edition of Veblens
Imperial Germany and the Industrial
Revolution" searching and prophetic
study of the course the German nation
was, to follow after 1918.
| With the aid of the keen men he has
| gathered around him, Mr.. Wallace has
| turned out several books in recent years.
Some of his recent titles are Whose
CONSTITUTIONS, Craftsmanship and Re-
| ligion." New Frontiers" Technology,
Corporations and the General Welfare. +"
| AS early as 1920 he had published "Agri-
cultural Prices" which was to become
| something of classic, and he followed
| this with Corn and Corn Growing"
Mr. Wallace has no vices, avoiding
both alcohol and tobacco. A more or less
strict vegetarian, he has little interest
In food If it is simple and we'll prepared.
If he has hobby outside his work it
is the much publicized boomerang throw
ing. Now and then he plays rather
numbering game of tennis. Mrs. Wallace
gently prods him about paying more
attention to his clothes.
Plainly Henry Wallace is new breed
of political cat. He has gone long
way through his association with Roose-
| velt And while their collaboration will
continue, withs Mr.. Wallace in a new
role. he will now be more nearly on hts
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