The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-09-15
Hlln1an As A Liability
By ARTHUA KROCK

BY ARTHUA KROCK
WASH1NGTON.- Mounting indications - the
size of the Maine majority for candidates op.
ney Hillman and his political activities may
prove to be one of the Presidents heaviest
liabilities in the quest for a fourth term were
doubtless responsible for the statement in Chi
Gao by Robert E. flanagan, chairman of the
Democratic National Committee.
In his statement Mr.. Hannegan denied that
when he conferred with the President in the
Chicago railroad yards just prior to the Dem
ocratic National Convention, while Mr. Roose.
welt was on his way to Pearl Harbor, the
President told him to clear everything with
Sidney (Hillman)." He said it was absolutely
untrue" that Mr.. Roosevelt had said that or
anything that could have been tortured to
convey that meaning" His denial was con-
fined to the occasion Of the conference aboard
the Presidents train, but it can be read to
cover any other occasion.
Mr.. flanagan said he did not know who
invented the story Reporters at the con-
vention,, while not asserting to the use of
the word invented would have great diff
Guilty in ascribing it to single source It
to Mr.. flanagan himself and was borne out
in its essential implications by the downfall
of the Vice Presidential candidacy of former
Justice James F. Byrnes, director of the Of
flee of War Mobilization. That history which
is well though privately documented, is sus-
stantialy as follows:
Last June the bosses of the big city Demo
cratic machines concentrated on the Presi-
dent in a mass effort to convince him that
the denomination of Vice President Henry A..
Wallace would endanger his chances to be
reelected. Mr.. flanagan, after tour of the
country, had previously made the same report
to Mr.. Roosevelt. He was finally impressed,
and let it be known that he thought Mr.
ByrneS would be an admirable substitute and
make the best President of all the aspirants
if fate should call him to that office.
The big city bosses, accompanied and led
by Mr.. flanagan, then turned their persua-
sions on Mr.. Byrnes. They reported to him
their conversation with the President, and he
was informed that Mr.. Roosevelt would write
that easiest-way-o putting-it" letter about
Mr.. Wallace which left open the choice for
second place.
Mr.. Byrnes, unwilling to base his decision
on hearsay, talked over the matter with Mr..
Roosevelt and received t h e encouragement
which induced him to seek the Vice Presiden-
tial nomination. If he neglected to make short
hand notes of this conversation Che is for
mer court reporter) then it is the first time
he has failed to document an incident of i'm
portance in his career
When he reached Chicago he was confident
of nomination, having the blessing of the Pres
ident and the warm support of most of the
big city bosses and Chairman Hannegan. But
there were three things he did not know while
ne maintained his candidacy:
l. Mr.. flanagan had been handed second
letter signed by the President dated July 10
but written five days before, on the same
day the Wallace letter was dated), mention
ing only Senator Harry S. Truman and Su-
preme Court Justice William o. Douglas as
acceptable to him for second place.
2. Mr. Hillman had been at the White House
on the day both letters were written Hhe ex-
istence of the second was not known to Mr..
flanagan until much later and had vigor-
ously expressed his opposition to Mr.. Byrnes,
saying that even if he could remove the op-
position of the Negro leaders associated with
CIO-PAC, his organization could not support
a man who had held the line" for the Presi-
dents Little Steel formula.
3. The President had begun to change his
mind toward Mr.. Byrnes even before his as
sistant left for Chicago.
After Mr.. Byrnes got there, the big city
bosses and Mr. Hannegan consulted Mr.. Hill
man, as the President told them to do, and
discovered that his opposition to Mr.. Byrnes
was unyielding. They so reported to Mr..
Roosevelt by telephone who, according to
them, remarked that this made Mr.. Byrnes
"a political liability. When they informed the
former Justice of this he sought and eventu-
ally got confirmation from Mr.. Roosevelt and
thereupon withdrew the candidacy Sin defer
ence to the wishes of the President as he
publicly announced.
The Vice Presidential nomination had most
definitely been cleared with Sidney whose
veto Of Mr.. Byrnes was accepted by the Pres
ident, despite the fact that his assistant sought
the nomination on direct encoura cement from
Mr. Roosevelt.
There are many people Who know the facts,
but they are party men and are not likely to
offer confirmation of these facts, or of the use
of the phrase denied by Mr.. Hannegan until
the time comes to write their memoirs.-New
York Times