Evening star., 1943-07-19
Case of Mr.. Wallace

The strange case of Henry A. Wal
lace is just another example of the
many turns and twists in politics.
Three years ago he was picked by
President Roosevelt as his running
mate. Vigorous tactics were used
to bring about his nomination at the
Democratic National Convention in
Chicago. Until quite recently Mr..
Wallace was eXtolled far and wide by
the New Dealers. He made at least
two speeches dealing with the future
of the United States and the world,
which we're called extraordinary.
There was talk of him as the sue
cessor of President Roosevelt, should
the latter not be a candidate in 1914
The President placed him at the head
of the Bureau of Economic Warfare
the first big executive job ever held
by Vice President.
But the pendulum swung back. Mr..
Wallace has been removed by the
President as head Of the BEW-and
the agency translated into the DEW.
This summary action was taken be-
cause Mr.. Wallace entered upon an
acrimonious and public row with
Secretary of Commerce Jesse Jones,
which persisted despite the peace
making efforts of War Mobilization
Director Byrnes.
Democratic political leaders who
remain in Washington frankly say
they do not expect Mr. Wallace to be
renominated for Vice President, if
Mr.. Roosevelt runs again. Any other
chance he may have for a presiden-
tial nomination, in their opinion, has
evaporated. 1t may be that the
pendulum will swing again within
the next twelve months and Mr.. Wal
laces political star will be in the
ascendency-butt this is unlikely.
When Mr.. Wallace was selected for
the vice presidential nomination in
1910 he was expected to bring to the
ticket political strength in the great
farm States Of the Midwest. He
himself is a native Of Iowa, the heart
of the corn belt. AS Secretary Of
Agriculture he had been dispensing
subsidies to the farmers for years.
Also, he was regarded as one Of the
most advanced of the New Dealers,
acceptable in every way to the Presl-
circle !"
AS a political asset in the farm
States, Mr.. Wallace apparently did
not pan out. Most of those States
voted for Mr. Willkie, including Iowa.
There is no reason to believe that in
1914 Mr.. Wallace would be any more
helpful in that section of the country
than he was in 1910 On the con-
trary these farm States seem hope
lessly lost to the New Deal.
Coupled with the rumor that Mr..
Wallace is on the way out politically
is a report that Mr.. Byrnes, war
mobiliza ton director, former asso-
ciate justice Of the Supreme Court
and former Senator, will be the
Presidents running mate next year.
1t was widGly believed in 1910, Just
before the Democratic convention
got under way, that Mr.. Byrnes was
to be the vice presidential nominee.
That was changed, however, when
Harry Hopkins, acting for Mr.. Roose-
welt, took over in Chicago. Today it
is more necessary, say the politicians,
for the Roosevelt supporters to ap-
pease an angry South than to at
tempt to make hay in the Midwest.
The President may be reelected
without those Midwest States-but
any serious detection in the South
would endanger both his nomination
and election. And the presence of
Mr.. Byrnes on the ticket would go
far toward solidifying the South
again.