Detroit evening times., 1945-04-05
BEHIND
The News
BY Paul
Manon

NNoiii4No lO'>' AP'n he
W yarn they are pass sing
around about the resignation of
James F. Byrnes as assistant
president is that he was angry
about having been turned down
for the vice presidency by Mr..
Roosevelt at the last Chicago
convention.
That is rather stale anger,
But about a week before the
President made the announce
ment of the resignation, certain
senators heard he was angry
again. They did not know about
what or did not say.
He had just returned recently
from the Yalta conference, and
-if-he was angry about that II
did not show As a matter of
fact. Mr.. Byrnes' face rarely
shows anything. II is the best
poker countenance in town, they
say.
LIE could also possibly have
II been angry about the un-
popular reaction 10 his han on
horse racing and after midnight
saloons. in certain quarters at
least That could not he true.
OhlectlnG quarters certainly did
not include the office of the
Chief Executive.
Byrnes won his battle over
Mayor LaGuardIa on the night
club closing with some adroit
pressure from the army and
navy by the simple process Of
having servicemen get up and
leave night clubs AT the mid
night clubs at the midnight
hour.
ANY one who remained was
thereby placed IN the position of
being unpatrlotic. and not even
the mayors friends. the night
club owners could stand that
kind Of fianklng maneuver.
They quit their battle forthwith
and left the mayor shrleking -
but alone.
As a follow-up 10 the other
bans came recent announce
mentS that all would be with
drawn upon We day. and that
the army MANN the -BSrnes
office who inspired them was
moved 10 France 10 serve out
the war. There is nothing IN
this picture but happiness at
both ends Of the White House.
the east wing where Mr. ByrneS
operated and the west wing
where the President worked.
NOC Will recall, however. that
L Mr.. Roosevelt's reply 10 the
resignation letter, said he was
familiar with Mr.. ByrneS
persistent" efforts 70 resign.
That was plain. polite sarcasm,
lending more than Credenee 10
the inside Senate information.
Furthermore Byrnes acted in
obvious haste on his promise 10
stay on 10 We day. He an
tlcipated il by an indefinite
period, with his announcement,
although agreeing TO stay on
until then.
The only anger Byrnes has
expressed 70 his friends that I
know has been against the
march Of events toward social
ism or radlcallsn or whatever
YOU want 10 call the movement
on the march.
He could well have come
away from Yalta with some re-
f1ectionS on how little we won
there
Practically every one is a
little sore about that, but
perhaps more diSpleaSed that
Stain has not seen fit even so.
N honor the San Francisco con-
ference. the Air conference and
many other administration plans
with cooperation.
pYRNES' failure 10 clear il
- with Sidney for the vice
presidency had the political
foundation Of his resistance 10
the left wing. This is the
fundamental cause for his
resignation. Whatever anger
arose, must have sprung from
that basic source.
Furthermore, the main effect
will he 10 add one more name
10 the list Of those Of his view
point passing from posts OF
power.
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