Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-08-31
BY PAUL MALLON

state since Senator Byrnes went
up 10 the supreme bench.
His friends, in advance, fig
tired the primary as a runaway,
particularly as he was facing
only 65-year-old Eugene Blease
(half-brother of the late fiery
Senator Cole Blease) who adj
vanced no particularly hot politi-
teal issue, at least not in his
speeches.
But when the votes were
counted Senator Maybank had
lost just about everything in the
state except in his home town,
Charleston, where his majority
was sufficient to overcome his
deficiencies elsewhere.
IN THE political cloakrooms
1 here it is confidently believed
there were only two issues in
volved in Senator Maybank's
hairbreadth escape, neither of
which can be discerned very
clearly anywhere on paper:
ID Gasoline rationing, and
t2t white supremacy.
The near-absence of these is
sues from the public record of
the primary debate does not,
however, lessen the effect which
the South Carolina results may
have on national politics, and
national gas rationing.
Maybank was not particularly
identified with gas rationing. He
had not voted for any bill to that
effect, because there has been
no legislation on that particular
subject. The regulation is di-
rected by executive order.
Furthermore, Mr.. Maybank
took pains to point out every
where on the stump that he had
protested to Leon Henderson,
the gas regulator, against the
restrictions on travelling sales
men and on business men, which
were hindering or running their
business.
But the people all could see a
pipe line running right through
their state into North Carolina,
and made no secret of their dis
satisfaction with the existing
administration. The Business
Executives Association, in the
upper part of the state, partic-
ularly rOtoctad
MIR. MAYBANk'S opposition
A'l candidate made no point of
this situation, but on the second
issue-the question of white
supremacy-Mr. Blease did once
or twice indicate that. if elected,
he would vote for Mr.. Roose-
velt's policies on every question
except that one. He did not need
TO say much.
During the campaign Mrs.
Roosevelt came into the adjoin-
ing State of North Carolina, to
Salisbury. TO address the African
Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
of America. Many leaders in the
town tried to devise polite ways
to keep her out, fearing her
presence might reopen some re-
cent inter-racial scratches over
the demand of Negro Boy Scouts
TO march in Fourth of July
parade with white Boy Scouts.
In the end, however, some Of
the ladies of the town received
her. took her to inspect a nom
union hosiery mill (where she
said in her column later that
excellent working conditions
prevailed and she made an adj
dress asking equal opportunity"
in war work for equal qualifiers.
TNHIS attracted little attention
Il in North Carolina. but il got
plenty in South Carolina. May
bank, of course. had nothing 10
do with il. except that he is a
good friend of Mrs. Roosevelt.
In congressional quarters,
South CarolinianS have said the
situation was further heightened
by men and women war workers,
who returned TO the state after
brief experience working in gov
eminent departments, where
equal opportunity has been pro-
vided Negroes.
The primary result showed
two lessons irrefutably. The
current method of gasoline ra-
tioning has not yet been justified
in South Carolina. and unless il
is justified-by Interior Secre-
tary Ickes, for example, remov-
ing his censorship over supplies
in the East. or by the govern
ment pubhcizing the needs of
the armed services. or by trying
10 help business people who are
suffering from it--political re-
percussions elSew here can
/ hardly be avoided.
Both the California and New
York situations jointly reflected
turn in the tide of radicalism.
California particularly has been
wild and woody and all the rest
OF II in recent years, even 10 the
/ point where thirty dollars every
Thursday" became popular there.
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