Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-07-19
behind "
The NEWS
BY Paul
Mallon

CHICAGO. July 19-This con-
~ vention really started back
in Washington when the OPA
upped the cotton price $780,
100000 a few weeks ago.
Thus began, in concrete form,
MIR. RooSevelt's remerger OF sell
with the Democratic party of
the South for the duration, not
necessarily of the war, but of
the campaign at least. The
method is historic in politics.
You will recall the prlcer, Mr..
Bowles. wrung his hands and
wept before a congressional
committee that the Bankhead
cotton-boosting am En- d m ZEN
would wreck his program and
cost S250.O00,000 to consumers
annually.
The official compromises, Mr..
Byrnes, was set 10 work to
change the amendment so MIR.
Roosevelt would not he required
to veto it. After he got through,
Senator Bankhead said he was
satisfied. as what MIR. Byrnes
concocted was the same thing.
Now II has been officially an
nounced that OPA On con-
Torrance has raised its cotton
ceilings S150,000.000. thus to
stimulate the main item of COM
merce in the South where cot
ton is still supposed 10 remain
king or dictator after several
economic revolutions,
TNHE cynical newsmen. be-
l. hind their hands. call this
"appeasement." Mr.. Roosevelt's
workers call il his Inner policy
of couciliation' upon which he
expects TO build a feasible, II
not popular front, embracing
both extremes of conservatism
and radicalism regarding to-
talitarianism, economics, Me-
groes, and, in fact, all issues.
Whatever you call it, this is
the prescribed theme of the
convention and the essence of
events for the campaign. Re-
cent conforming relaXatlons on
food and whisky are said by
administration officials 10 have
Just happened without any
thought of politics. If so. they
Will continue increasingly 10
happen up TO election day -
with or without thought OF poll
tics.
CIMILAR preparations for APP
~ peaslng or conCillating the
vice presidential situation are
somewhat perpleXing. but not
beyond happy fulfillment at this
convention.
Senate leader Barley. who
established some national popu-
larity by rebelllng against Mr..
Roosevelt on taxes, has been
gumShoeing around his native
Kentucky within the past two
weeks, his head high in the
air.
He is facing n difficult con-
test for reelection. but at
tempted no fence mending His
actions gave no indication of an
intention TO run for that Job.
But ne remarked confidentially
to a few friends that Mr.. ROoSe-
welt had given him the go
sign" for the vice presidential
nomination.
THIS hardly fits in with what
L the Georgia governor says
Mr.. Roosevelt told him, namely
that Mr.. Wallace had TO be ac-
cepted for denomination TO APP
peaSe the radicals, the Hill
mans. ct al. Nor does it tit
North Carolina Max Gardeners
assertion that his delegation Is
dead set against Wallace be-
cause me is not our kind of
folks and he is a mystic.
Other assembling Democratic
politicoS have said enough 10
make il clear Wallace is unac-
Ceptable 10 the party as a
whole. As vocal custodian of
the radicals for Mr.. Roosevelt
during tins wartime Co-opera-
tive hiatus. Mr.. Wallace seems
10 have overdone his end, and
has become a liability.
The convention might do the
party a service which Mr. RooSe-
welt cannot perform for himself.
and give him Barley CSupreme
Court Justice Douglas being
little less of a radical liability
than MallaCel.