Evening star., 1945-04-13
BY GOULD LINCOLN.

The Democratic party has new
head-President Harry S. Truman.
Whether he will be able to keep to-
gether the various groups, liberal
and conservative, welded by Presi-
dent Roosevelt, remains to be seen.
1t may be an impossible job for any
Democrat.
The new President, however, be-
gins his party leadership, as well
as his tenure of the presidency,
with the good wishes of Democrats
generally. What he does from now
on will determine the measure of
his leadership and show the meas
ure of his ability to keep the party
from disintegrating.
President Truman has announced
he will continue Mr.. Roosevelt's S
policies. Presumably this means do
mestic, as well as foreign. He has
announced, too, that he will retain
Mr.. Roosevelt's cabinet.
Gave Strength to Groups.
Because of his great following
throughout the country, particularly
in these war years, Mr.. Roose-
welt was able to deal effectively
with all the groups which have con-
stituted the Democratic party in re-
cent years. He gave to each of them,
as long as they acted together, more
strength than they gave to him
AS reluctant as they were to sup
port some of the New Deal policies,
conservative Democrats, neverthe-
less, in the great majority lined up
for Mr. Roosevelt when election day
rolled around.
1t remains now to be seen wheth-
er Mr.. Truman will listen to
Sidney Hillman, head Of the PAC,
or to Robert E. Hannegan, chairman
Of the Democratic National Com
mite. 1t may be he will listen to
both. 1t also remains to be seen
whether Mr.. Truman will lis
ten to the more conservative Demo-
Gratis in Congress, many of them
are his close friends.
The Democratic party in Congress
in recent months has been falling
apart. The conservatives more and
more have left the reservation. This
was demonstrated in the senatorial
fights which stripped Secretary of
Commerce Wallace of the great
lending agencies of the Government,
which defeated Aubrey Williams for
the office of administrator of the
Rural Electrification Administration
and which virtually put the man
power bill, supported by Mr.. Roose-
welt, on ice. In the fight over the
manpower bill, however, it was the
conservatives who stuck by Mr.
Roosevelt and the radicals who left
him.
Truman and New Deal.
Mr.. Truman, while Senator from
Missouri. was regarded as a sup
porter of the New Deal administra-
ton. He was not regarded, however,
as 100 per cent New Dealer.
Democratic leaders at the Capitol
today expressed the opinion that
Mr.. Truman's ascendency to the
presidency and party leadership may
well have the effect of solidifying
party ranks in both the Senate and
House. He has made no enemies
and he is personally popular with
the legislators.
His every act from now on will be
watched to determine whether he
is moving to the right or to the left,
whether he is inclined to side with
the conservatives or with the radi-
Gals. There is feeling among
members of the party that he will
not be as far ito the left of center"
as was the late President.
In some measure Mr.. Truman Is
indebted both to Chairman Hanne-
gan and to Mr.. Hillman for his
nomination in Chicago last sum-
mer to be the Democratic candi-
date for Vice President. Mr.. Han
negan went to Chicago a strong
supporter of Mr.. Truman for the
Vice Presidency. Mr.. Hillman per-
sonally told Mr.. Truman, when the
latter went to him to learn whether
Mr.. Hillman would agree to sup
port the nomination of former War
Mobilization Director Byrnes for
Vice President, that he, Hillman.
would not stand for Byrnes but