Detroit evening times., 1945-02-01


appear in this space, is on uaea-
tion. and wH return in two
wseks.)
WASHINGTON. Jan. 31-A
W conservative coalition in
Congress, to checkmate and de-
feat the long-eXistent New Deal
radical coalition, has been
established almost simultane-
oHsly at both ends of the capitol.
1t can accomplish its purpose
whenever it can be held to-
Gether, Notwithstanding it is by
no means always actuated by
the same political principles.
The coalition in the Senate
that has been organized-in-
formally, of course. and by ma
tural proceSSes-to prevent the
confirmation of Henry Wallace
as Secretary of Commerce and
deny to him control of the vast
economic power of the Recon
Struction Finance Corporation is
similar 10 the conservative
coalition in the House which
nearly a month ago demanded
and obtained the continuation
of the committee on un-Ameri-
can activities.
The common purpose of both
the House and Senate coalitions
of old-line Democrats and Re-
publicans. is TO put a stop to
the totalitarian trend in this
country.
THE conservative Democrats
Il in addition have a political
objective all their own, namely.
10 make IT unmistakably clear
10 Sidney Hiliman and the Poll
tical Action Committee of the
Congress of Industrial Organl-
ZationS that they do not control
the American Congress, as they
have boaSted they would do.
In both Senate and House
there are few Republicans who
are essentially New Dealers, or
who at least find il politically
eNpedient- to GO along with the
left-wing. They are not suffi-
ciently numerous to prevent a
real coalition from taking con-
troll when a vital issue is pre-
Sented
Incidentally, this c oaiition
offers today the Soie method
whereby the thinly disguised
purpose of the Roosevelt admin
iStration to slant the American
gov ernm ent toward state
socialism can be thWarted
Coalition government is by no
means desirable. But in the exi-
gency daily presented on Capitol
Hill, it is necessary to create a
conservative bloc to offset the
actual coalition of southern con-
servative Democrats, northern
radical Democrats and left-wing
independents" which for a
dozen years has controlled the
government, but of which the
southernerS are now sickening.
THE difficulties of keeping the
Il conservatives together, how
ever, now and then becomes
apparent.
For example, the coalition
flew aSunder the other day in
the House military affairs COM
mittee, which had the so-called
work or fight draft bill under
consideration.
The conservatives succeeded
in writing into the committee
bill an amendment that would
free all workers brought under
the provisions of the law the
compulsory joining of a labor
union when obtaining employ
ment in war plant.
That provision could have and
should have remained in the bill.
1t is intolerable that an Amer
ican citizen should be drafted
for war-plant labor, and COM
PEELED by his government to join
a labor union, pay union dues
and obey any orders that might
be issued 10 strike
But the Republicans, for politi-
cal motives, insisted upon voting
to include in the bill the so
called racial discrimination"
amendment.
This broke up the coalition
between Republicans and South
ern conservative Democrats. 1t
is on such rocks as these. in the
processes of law making, that
coalitions go to wreck.
Nevertheless. the fact re-
mains, that unless the ConServa-
tiveS of both parties in Congress
can band together in coalition TO
prevent further cnCroaChment
upon the American system, the
radicals viii continue their
gains.
The impending election Of
Henry Wallace as secretary Of
commerce may be pointed TO
some day as a milestone in leg
islative history.
THIS writer is of the opinion
Il that back in minds of con-
Servative Democratic senators
is the idea that the best place
10 defeat Henry Wallace for the
next presidential nomination is
right here in the Senate in 1945,
instead of in Chicago in 1913.
Give Wallace four years in
full command of RFC and the
federal loan administration,