Evening star., 1945-05-24
Other Cabinet Shifts
Predicted by Writer
Sees Truman Out to Overcome
Opposition to New Deal Policies
By David Laurence

0~~S NAAAoA >ot ~ oNSI
Opposition to New Deal Policies
BY David Laurence
-Four changes in the cabinet since
President Truman took of1ice month
ago indicate that other appointments
may also be expected. The reasons
given In the three letters OF resignation
Just nounced-namely, that a new
President should have an opportunity to
choose new associates and that decade
Is long period Of service for a cabinet
omcer-would seem to apply to others
still in the cabinet.
With new faces, however, In the Post
Once Department, Agriculture Depart
ment, Department of Justice and De-
partment Of Labor, Mr.. Truman may be
said to have reorganized a substantial
segment Of the Government.
There can be little doubt that by l948
the Democratic administration will wish
to overcome as much Of the opposition to
the domestic policies of the Roosevelt
administration as possible, while at the
same time obtaining whatever prestige
1t can from a fulfillment Of the foreign
policies.
Neither Left Nor Right.
The new cabinet appointees represent
neither turn toward the left nor to the
right. Judge Schwellenbach, who be-
comes Secretary Of Labor, had record
In Congress of friendliness to labor leg
islation. One Republican Senator of
prominence the other day, discussing
with the writer the probable appoint
ment of Mr.. Schwellenbach, said of him:
well, he is pretty we'll over to the left
and labor will like the appointment, but
If We have to do business with a left
winger, I'd rather have my case come
before Schwellenbach than any one I
know of in that school of thought"
AS for the new Attorney General, Tom
Clark, this is not considered in any sense
political selection. He is young and
able. has fine personality, is independ-
ent-minded and known as square
shooter" He is regarded by persons in
the Government as good administrator
and the appointment Is liked because it
Is recognition Of meritorious service by
= man in subordinate capacity. In
cidentally, he knows his way around in
politics and has been on terms of per-
sonal friendship with both Chairman
Hannegan of the Democratic National
Committee, now Postmaster General, and
with President Truman.
Representative Clinton Anderson, who
becomes Secretary Of Agriculture, Is a
businessman Of Independent means and
man who has been fearless In his ap-
proach in Congress to agricultural prob
ganizations and is believed to be the kind
OF man who is not likely to be controlled
by pressure group tactics.
On the whole, the three appointments
just announced indicate that President
Truman Is trying to get an efficient cab
met composed of men whose personal
equation he knows
Certainly it cannot be said of the three
appointees that they are zealots or cru
saders in the cause of New Dealism, but
| 1t can be said that they are liberals in
the sense in which the Democratic ad-
ministration will probably wish to be
known in coming years.
Need to Avoid Extremes.
The principal need In the Government
nowadays, however, Is to avoid giving
extremists of either the right or the left
the reins Of control over national poll
cies, whether in an advisory or an ad-
ministrative sense. The great need of
the hour iS Sfa ah;lif1v nd Foir
ness. A liberal policy executed by men
whose motives are unscrupulous is worse
than reactionary policy fairly admin
stered. Conversely, liberalism makes
It's greatest strides in national affairs
when 1t has honest administrators who
have deep sense OF what Is Just and
right.
Too much of the New Deal philosophy
has been impaired by the clumsy or in
| ept administrators who thought that
they must ride roughshod over oppesi-
tion and use the power of government
to corce rather than persuade opponents
to accept their views on legislative pol
icy or governmental regulation.
The whole cause of good government
can be undermined by men who wish to
exploit themselves rather than serve the
people. President Truman appears to
be too good q judge of human nature,
and particularly of the currents OF
irritation, if not bitterness, in our public
affairs, to overlook the need of selecting
capable and fair-minded administrators
to execute liberal policies.
| As for the appointments OF Harry
Hopkins and Joseph E. Davies to act as
| diplomatic advisers, each of these men
has certain background In interna-
tional affairs which can prove helpful to
the President, and he is wise in availins
himself of their knowledge for special
missions, thus preserving wherever pos
sible continuity in foreign affairs that
is especially important in these critical
times.
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