Evening star., 1943-07-17
Wallace Written Off
AS IA Political Factor
By Some Observers

Vice President Wallace, who
was President Roosevelt's sur
prise choice for his running
mate in 1910, is being written off
in some quarters as a political
factor in 1914, whether or not
Mr.. Roosevelt seeks fourth
term.
Mr.. Wallace's political future cams
into the conversation as the CAPITAL
discussed the Presidents action in
rebuking the Vice President and
Secretary Of Commerce Jones for
their bitter fight over the stockpil-
ing Of strategic war materials. and
stripping both Of their functions In
this connection, Those commenting
Tor publication expressed conviction
that Mr.. Wallace would no longer
have to be reckoned with.
Henry Wallace was already dead
politically, but this thing buries
him." said Senator Smith. Demo-
crat, of South Carolina, in discussing
the Presidents order which abol-
lshed the Board of Economic War
fare, headed by the Vice President
and transferred its duties to a neE
Office of Economic Warfare. This
DEW also will take over the war
materials purchasing functions ex-
ercised by the Secretary OF Com.
merce who heads also the Recone
struction Finance Corp.
Senator Nye. Republican, of North
Dakota told reporters that 1T looks
to me like the end of Wallace's
plans for milk routes all ovev the
world"-an allusion to the Vice Pres
ident's discussion of postwar plan-
ming.
President Moves In.
The President move1 In on the
disputants Thursday night, and at
the same time served notice on all
agency heads that public airing of
controversies would call for their
designations.
He appointed Leo T. Crowley,
alien property custodian and chair
man of the Federal Deposit Insur-
ance Corp, to direct the ONCE OF
tISciiolIlAC w al dIlu SCIldlOE
Nye said he believed this appoint
ment represented a victory for Mr..
Jones.
To my way Of thinking he said.
Crowley represents the more con-
servative element of the admins
tration-the same element Jones
represents"
On second reading yesterday Of
Mr.. Roosevelt's order, many at the
Capitol and in the Government were
impressed with the grant of power
it gave to James F. Byrnes, war
mobilization director.
Confer With Roosevelt.
A spokesman for the now-abol-
lshed BEW said it appeared to him.
in fact, that Mr. Byrnes would have
most of the powers formerly exer-
cised by Mr.. Wallace and that Mr..
Crowley would be in about the posi-
ton formerly occupied by Milo Per-
kins, right-hand man to the Vice
President.
Mr.. Byrnes and Fred M. Vinson.
economic stabilization chief con-
ferred with the President late yes
terday. Shortly after, Mr.. Byrnes
announced he had called a meeting
of representatives OF all agencies
concerned with foreign economic af-
fairs for Monday morning to con-
slider plans for carrying into effect
the program outlined in the ex-
ecutive order. The regular cabinet
meeting was not held.
The Chief Executives order gave
the War Mobilization Committee,
headed by Mr.. Byrnes, broad con-
troll over policies of Mr.. Crowley's
new agency.
The new grant OF authority to
Mr.. Byrnes, who already has been
dubbed the Assistant President
because of his powers in domestic
matters, brought fresh talk In
political circles that he might be
the second man on a Roosevelt
fourth-term ticket, though Mr..
Byrnes said recently that he had
no political ambitions. Another
mentioned, on the presumption that
Mr.. Wallace is not to be considered,
was Speaker Rayburn.