Evening star., 1941-08-02

ming in the Harding administration,
the Vice President began to sit in
with the cabinet, but Mr.. Roosevelt
enjoys the distinction of putting a
Vice President to work really as the
No. 2 man in Governmental con-
ception of the vice presidency pop
uIarIy held but never realized.
Strictly speaking, it is against the
letter of the Constitution for a
member of Congress to hold any
Office under the executive branch of
the Government, and the Vice Pres
ident is assuredly a member of the
Senate, even though he has vote
only in case of a tie. But since the
Vice President is not to get any
salary for the new position and the
purpose is national defense in time
of crisis, it is hardly likely that the
activity of the Vice President in TAX
ing over certain advisory duties for
the President would be questioned.
Trusted by President.
Actually, the amount of authority
that the Vice President would be
exercising in his capacity as CO.
ordinator in chief of defense is de-
pendent upon how much he may
decide to exercise in behalf of the
President. His orders may be merely
recommendation to the President,
though having to all intents and
purposes a f1nality which will be
generally accepted throughout the
Government.
It will be noted that Mr.. Wallace
is to preside over a cabinet of seven
members-all of the present cabinet
except the Postmaster General, the
Secretary of Labor and the Secre-
fary of the Interior. Having served
in the cabinet himself as Secretary
of Agriculture, Mr. Wallace knows
the machinery of governmental de-
partments and executive agencies.
He also has the implicit trust and
confidence of the President. When
the time came last summer for the
selection of a vice presidential NOM
inee, Mr.. Roosevelt himself did the
picking. So the President must have
felt that of all the men in the New
Deal who might succeed him in Of
flee, Henry Wallace was the best
qualified.
By selecting the Vice President
now to coordinate all defense activ-
tiles of an economic character, Mr..
Roosevelt is choosing the one indi-
vidual in the Government other
than himself who has the prestige
and influence needed to get cooper
alton inside and outside the Gov
ernment. The action is ten-str1ke
and Mr.. Roosevelt has not only Gre
ated a significant precedent but he
has done something to famll1arlze
the Vice President with the duties
of President in the event that fate
may some day compel him to take
charge of the White House.
Sincere Liberalism.
It may be that Mr.. Wallace will
gain such experience that the DEM
ocratic party will look upon him as
the logical nominee in 1914 for the
presidency but no whisper of politics
has been associated with Mr.. Roose-
velt's action. Tt is merely fact that
the President looked around for the
man who could coordinate his own
cabinet and he found in front OF his
verv nose the individual who by
temperament and official position
could be best expected to do the Joo'
Mr.. Wallace is a New Dealer but
he IS by no means radical. He Is
fundamentally honest-minded and
non-political. He is neither schem-
ine nor tricky but straightforward
person whose liberalism is sincere.
Some of his friends claim he is really
a conservative, but a reading of his
hooks would indicate that while he
has a wholesome respect for private
property and human rights therein,
he also has a wholesome respect Tor
change and evolution in a complex
economic society.
May Boss Defense.
While the executive order creating
the new board emphasizes interna-
tional economic relations as they
relate to defense, the language is OF
such sweeping nature that MI. wal"
lace may occupy the position OF boss
of the whole governmental defense
machine under the President, taking
precedence over Messrs. Knudsen,
Hillman, Henderson, Ickes and the
other defense administrators, all OF
whom will continue to exercise their !
same functions as under previous
executive orders. out who will be
required now to coordinate their |
efforts under the youthful, vigorous |
and tactful Vice President, while |
the President gets bit OF rest from |
the arduous tasks that have en-
veloped him. Mr., Roosevelt's great
contribution to the war is his knowl-
edge of naval strategy and world |
affairs, and the more time he has to
devote to the broad aspects of the |
huge war effort now concentrated |
on beating Hitlerism the better will
be the ultimate result.
The intricate economic structure
30 necessary to defense and aid to !
Nazi foes can best be co-ordinated |
by some one else with power and |