Evening star., 1944-07-22
Trumon Choice Is Seen
As Reason in Politics
Bitter Convention Fight Was Due
to Succession Hunch, Says Writer

bitter Convention right was Duo
to Succession Hunch, Says Writer
By David Laurence
CHICAGO, July a. Compromise -
that peculiar device Of political con-
vention which patches up differences in
the last minute and hopes to send away
opposing factions in harmony-put its
pressure on the delegates as they strove
to finish up listless convention.
Senator Truman of Missouri, who
from the outset has been suggested as
compromise, finally won the coveted
prize. For somehow the vice presiden-
more sought after and more bitterly
contested than in any other convention
in political history.
Why?
Because Of hunch that maybe in
the next four years the hand Of fate
might make the constitutional success
sion necessary. It Is not Ill health but
accident in these days Of flying across
oceans that gives rise to such an un-
happy but realistic bit of reason in
politics
Popular Congress Figure.
The Missouri Senator Is a popular
figure In Congress. He has come into
prominence because of the investigating
committee in the Senate Of which he
has been chairman. His reports and
those of his colleagues have at times
been severely critical of the executive
agencies of the Government and have
not failed by implication to criticize the
efficiency Of the Commander in Chief
himself.
More will be heard of this doubtless
In the campaign and also of the political
background of the Senator. For he
came into ofrice through the aid of the
Prendergast machine in Kansas City
about which Gov. Dewey will proba bly,
have something to say as he appraises
the sources Of strength in the Demo-
cratic party today-the big city ma
chimes and the CIO Political Action
groups.
The defeat Of Mr.. Wallace is some
thing OF tragedy. He didn't know
much about convention politics. He Just
stuck to New Deal ideas The anti-New
Dealers combined with the machine
bosses who feared Mr. Wallace would
hurt the ticket. Mr.. Roosevelt could
have dictated Mr.. Wallaces renomina-
ton, but he, too, hesitated to force the
issue.
The speecnes and the platform of the
convention struck one note-the Presi-
dent must not be removed" as Com.
mander in Chief and the reforms of the
New Deal must go on in the reconstruc-
ton period. The best slogan of the whole
thing was given by speaker who called
himself an amateur" Quentin Rey-
nolds, war correspondent, who said.
Don't take out the pitcher when he is
pitching a winning game"
The delegates liked it, for they rec
ognized at once that Don't change
horses in the middle of the stream is
bit outmoded in an era of airplanes
and that most Of the present generation
never crossed stream or rode horse.
Line Of Fight Indicated.
The campaign will be fought on a
line that may drag the military OPERA
tions into politics. The Democrats take
credit for all the military victories. Their
platform boasts that they-the present
administrati tion-built up the Army, Navy
and Air Forces. 1t remains to be seen
now the rest Of the country will react
10 that kind OF partisanship and whether
II Will prove political boomerang as it
did in the congressional elections of
1918.
This campaign by the Democrats in
TENDS to make an asset of the Presi.
dents experience not only in war but in
diplomacy. If 1t appears that the war
Is coming to an end, the stump speakers
Will argue that the President is needed
to make the peace. His intimacy with
foreign rulers is to be played up. In
TACT, one of the speakers here 80 far
forgot how Stain came into power and
stayed in power that he contrasted the
tenure OF the Russian Premier with
that OF Mr.. Roosevelt, confessing inad-
Vertently that it doesn't matter whether
you are the head of a democracy or q
totalitarian state, the longer you are In
power the better it is for the people.
The Southern delegates 20 home dis
appointed and disillusioned. They were
ignored and humiliated. The episode
OF the Texas delegation which was not
seated although elected in a regular
Democratic State convention will fur.
nish precedent that will break the
Democratic party wide open in the
South and ultimately bring about the
formation of an independent political
party.
The Democratic National Convention
here did what it wanted but 1t left
wounds and scars that may never be
healed. The cleavage inside the Demo-
cratic party is deeper than the Repub-
Ican split of 1912. 1t may not affect
this election, unless the vote In tho
electoral college is close. but 1t will af-
feet the fortunes of the Democratic
party thereafter and for long time to
come.