Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-06

allotment plan for adjusting the
acreage devoted to crop production,
he was brought into contact with
President Roosevelt early in the 1882
campaign and became Mr.. Roose-
velt's leading adviser on agricultural
problems.
AS Secretary of Agriculture he was
largely responsible for the plan,
frequently criticized, to adjust pro-
ductive acreage to market require
ments. In the first years of lis
operation there existed world carry
over of 100000 bales of cotton, the
average crop for one year. This
surplus cotton acreage was curtailed
to the extent of about 100000
bales in 1888. There had also been
a carryover of 5000, 900 bushels of
wheat and acreage reduction pledges
were obtained to produce a reduc-
ton of approximately 1900, 900 acres
planted to this crop in 1884.
The depression was followed ell
most Immediately by some of the
most extensive droughts ever to fall
upon the United States. The worst
effects resulted from the unwise
cultivation of the soil, the extension
of wheat growing into the dry vest
ern plains, the cutting away Of
forests and diversion of streams.
Surveys showed that soil erosion
rapidly was washing the productive
soil of the United States into the
80 49,.
When the Supreme Court in an
historic decision declared the Agri-
cultural Adjustment Administration,
which had been set up to take care
of the crop reduction programs, I'M
constitutional Secretary Wallace
turned to the problem of soil con-
servation and was able to accom-
plish much the same results as be-
fore by payments to farmers for
allowing soil to remain idle In the
interests of erosion prevention.
Mr.. Wallace has terrific energy.
A little more than year ago he
became intensely interested In agri-
cultural relations between North and
South America. Studying alone in
a few months he had mastered
Spanish to the extent that he made
a long address in that language be-
fore an international scientific con-
ference here last spring.
He is, as is well known, a teeto-
taller, uses tobacco in no form, is an
experimenter with various diets, a
student of comparative religions,
and a scientist whom the busiest
days of his administration of the
departments-has carried on crucial
experiments in his own laboratory.
Ever since 1888 a small group of
enthusiasts has backed Mr.. Wallace
as the successor to Franklin D.
Roosevelt. He himself has done
nothing to encourage them. He has
little liking for the rough-and- tum-
BILE of a political fight. He is no
extemporaneous speaker. Gradually,
however, his delivery and platform
appearance have improved.
Mr.. Wallace was one of the earliest
advocates of a third term for his
chief and when he first declared
himself in favor of it last February
he gained only a rebuke from the
White House. He was, however, Mr.
Roosevelt's own choice as Vice Presi-
dent and was nominated at Chicago
in July because Of this backing, and
in the face of a determined revolt
on the part of many delegates who
had voted enthusiastically for the
third term.
There have been various theories
as to the reason for the Roosevelt
choice. Unquestionably Mr.. Wallace
had built up a large personal fol-
lowing among the farmers of the
Nation, but 1t is far from a unani-
nous following. Perhaps a more
logical explanation advanced at the
time was that President Roosevelt
foresaw an increasing Importance in
Latin-American relations and rec
ognized Mr.. Wallace as the man who
appealed perhaps more than any
other figure in the administration
to the southern democracies. Furth-
ermore Mr.. Wallace had a powerful
appeal to the liberal philosophic ele-
ment in the New Deal Setup.