The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-06-02
Observations
Byrnes Viewed
as Successor TO
President
BY Charles p. Stewart


HAS PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT
designated his preference for his
successor in the white House, This
question Is seriously discussed IN
Washington since F. D. RS ap-
pointment OF James F. Byrnes 10
the new post commonly referred 10
ss first assistant president
Nobody implies that our Chief
Executive Is waving a fourth-term
chance for himself. The guess mere.
~ is that Jimmie Byrnes is his ini'
tial choice TO succeed him II he is
not renominated. To have been
tagged now may prove 10 be help
ful 10 jimmie in the later l94Os
anyway. II be measures up and has
good luck today, he will be a for
midable proposition when that time
comes.
Byrnes probably is the initial
presidential possible futurlty who
ever was so unceremoniously re.
ferred 10 as Jimmie However.
that is how he is currently men
toned in the national capital. II IS
not that he is frivolously regarded
in the national capital, either. He
is big man, an ex-senator. an ex-
justice OF the Supreme Court and
very recently eX-head Of the Eco
monte Sterilization Board. He has
about as many exalted "eX's" as il
Is easy 10 capitulate in a hurry.
Yet somehow. IN his early sena-
torial days, his capitol associates
fell into the habit Of addressing
nm as Jimmie Ia
l. has stuck ever snce. Even in
the Federal Supreme Court he con-
tlnued to be identified as Justice
Jimmie He always was a dignified
chap, too. He is rather small phys
ically. He is clipper The name,
Jimmie, seems to fit him.
He's positive. though.
In his new post (the Office o,
War Mobilization) he is due to reg
lister as none Of the governments
sub-chiefs have done. Maybe some
OF them could have done So too, Il
they had had the authority. bu;
he's GOT II.
He is provided with a commit
tee to help him.
These committees, commissions
and bureaus are the outfits thai
have gummed the cards heretofore.
They haven't had any concentra-
ton. II appears that that is what
is 10 be centered in Jimmies War
Mobilization Office.
II 1t really means mobilization it
ought TO do the business.
Some Cabinet departments have
got 10 be subordinated notably
War and the Navy.
Harry Hopkins really amounts to
a White House department. That is
to be suppressed. too. Incidentally.
Congress is to be skwushed when
ever It is intervening.
But there is TO be a dictator
subject to a sub-dictator.
And the sub.dictator is to be
Jimmie Byrnes.
It isn't hard to see how the
Franklin D. Roosevelt dictatorship
wormed into the situation. That
was accidental. The war developed
II. It was automatic. Jimmie's in
coming was evolved.
But later?
From being No. man in the
National Administration. is the for
mer senator and Supreme Court
Justice destined to graduate into
the supreme Washington boss-ship
the next time there's a vacancy
there?
He'll have had plenty OF practice
as the present incumbent's chief
assistant.
And the fact is that he won't be
SO much Just an assistant as the
real chief except relative TO the de-
tail Of giving military orders. Pres
ident Roosevelt made it pretty clear
that he wanted TO get all but his
Army command off his hands when
be named Jimmie to relieve him OF
his other duties without exception.
II he sees fit he land he alone1
can veto orders given by Assistant
Byrnes. but there Is small likeli-
hood that he will do much OF 1t. He
" ants freedom 10 concentrate on
problems Of actual fighting and that
kind OF freedom is exactly what he
would not he getting IL he inter.
tered with his chosen uuderstudys
management.