Evening star., 1944-12-13

one would think him a direct son of
the devil.
The fight against Mr.. MacLeish
comes largely from the conservatives
and partly from personal prejudice,
but 1t is not as heated as that
against Mr.. Clayton.
1t does not speak we'll for the
sincerity of either group that in
order to get at its particular target
each was willing to endanger the
confirmation of the man whom it
supposedly favors. Thus, extreme
New Dealers joined with Democratic
and Republican ''reactionaries" in
voting to return all four of the
nominees to the committee, includ-
ing Joseph C. Grew, whose qualifi-
cations are almost unanimously ad-
mitted, and Nelson Rockefeller, who
apparently is objected to only be-
cause his late grandfather was so
frightfully rich. 80
Certain of Confirmation.
Both Mr.. Grew and Mr.. Rookie
feller are certain to be confirmed.
There should be as little doubt about
Mr.. Clayton and Mr.. MacLeish.
Neither the conservatives who
dislike Mr.. MacLeish nor the radi-
cal demagogues who illuminate
against Mr.. Clayton seem strong
enough to prevent the confirmation
of their special target by themselves.
The only way it could be done ap-
pears to be through a combination,
which would be ridiculous as well as
spurious. 1t would exhibit each
group as willing to sacrifice one of
their own in order to get at one who
belonged in the opposite camp. Such
a performance is almost unthink-
able.
Inasmuch as no really valid argu-
ment can be made as to why either
Mr.. Clayton or Mr.. MacLeish should
not hold the post to which he has
been named, and the opposition is
clearly a matter of prejudice, there
is slight expectation that it will
prevail.
AS a matter of fact, whether Mr..
Hopkins selected these two men, or
whether Mr.. Roosevelt himself
selected them, they are good selec-
tions and it would be extremely un-
fortunate If their services were lost
through the unreasoning opposition
of prejudiced politicians, regardless
of the group to which they adhere.
Take the case of Mr.. Clayton. The
only real opposition to Mr. Clayton
is due to the fact that he is one of
the most successful businessmen in
the United States. But that is
enough to make him violently hated
by certain type of extreme radical,
to whom Mr.. Roosevelt has too often
listened and by whom he has been
too often swayed.
Praised by Baruch.
Just as Mr.. Baruch said that Mr.
Clayton was the best-equipped man
in the whole United States for the
job of surplus products administra-
tor, so he is certainly one of the
best equipped to map and manage
our vitality important postwar for
eign economic policy, which is what
he will do in his new post. A man
of unqueStioned patriotism, of con-
ceded integrity and signal ability,
one would think that there would
be a unanimous desire to confirm
him for the Office which he did not
seek, does not particularly want, but
for which his training for many
years especially fits him.
AS to Mr.. MacLeish, if confirmed,
his duties will be to promote cul-
tural relations between this and
other nations and to foster in for
eign countries better understand
ing of the basic facts of American
policy. No one questions that, under
State Department direction and
control, these are good things to do,
and no one who knows him would
really question that Mr.. MacLeish
is very good man to do them. In
fact, it would be hard to think of
better. Certainly, he is a highly
cultured and erudite man. Ger
tainly, too, wholly aside from his
poetry, he has a rare gift of express
sion both as a speaker and a writer.
Man of Character.
Better still, he is man of charac-
ter and conviction. 1t has been init
mated that Mr.. MacLeish is a Com
munist-or, at least, a dangerous
radical-which, of course, is silly.
Undoubtedly he is an advanced
New Dealer" and an avowed "liber-
al" but he isn't phony liberal"
nor stuffy one. 1t is said that he
did not make success of his job in
the old Facts and Figures Admins
tration, but, under the conditions as
they then were, it is doubtful |