The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-08-30

with them as much as many OF his read
ers His articles serve the good purpose
of making people Think
BY WEsTBROOK PEGLER
Copyright, 1915, By King Features syndicate)
NEW YORK, Aug 20 - When you call me
an optimist, smile, but am afraid Harry Trd-
man is working out to be real good American
president and find the same sweet appre-
hension among republicans who never thought
to see the day when Hopkins, Biddle,
Perkins and the like of them would get the
hoist and fellow didn't have to feel that if he
put faith in some presidential promise or prop.
osition it would blow up in his face like trick
cigar.
First of all, he showed very decent re-
spect for Congress which was greater gain
than most of us realized az the time because,
after all, it wasn't good for our country to
have a lot of impudent squirts calling up peo'
pie on the Hill and telling them to do this and
do that or to hear a bel1-toned voice threaten
that if Congress didn't give him law that he
wanted, the voice would make his own law.
Then he burned the squealbook and people
could feel that they were Americans again who
had been put in category definitely inferior
to Sidney Hillman and Leon Henderson, the re-
suit of this being that Mr.. Truman gets the
cooperation and real moral support OF lot OF
citizens who want to help him succeed. They
can help him and the country more than Hill
mans PAC crowd because the PAC is strictly
political with mission to elect its people and
rule the nation through a party. Should they
do that we would have here repetition of the
recent development in Britain where party
elected Clement Attlee prime minister and
Harold Laski, the secretary of the party but
not a government officer, Immediately popp.
ed off with a declaration that the Franco re.
gime in Spain was a plague spot that would
have to be wiped out l think Mr.. Truman will
set the PAC back on its heels. 1t will be just
an auxiliary of the democratic party entitled
to no special say In government because it
can't live outside the party. You can't imagine
the PAC going republican.
I No American president ever talked more
about his love for the common people than
Franklin D. Roosevelt knew less about
them. He was an arlStocrat with patronlZing
attitude toward the common people and the
course Of his life showed that he viewed them
effectively. Servants, mansions, yachts, pri-
vate schools and aloofness from the lower
classes in his case are in contrast to Mr. Tru-
mans life story and have observed that the
new President doesn't divide people into class
;; es, common and special, being of the people
himself, he is just natural in his attitude to-
ward them. The difference reminds me of
New York professional Irishman who made
a visit to Ireland and went around being as
Irish as Paddys pig saying 'wurra wurra'
and ''whisht and bad cess to yez.o The
Irish thought he was nuts because they were
used to being Irish.
! think Mr.. Truman has been smart in keep.
ing Henry Wallace on as Secretary of Com
merce. That keeps Henry boxed up where he
can do very great harm and if he kicks
down the stall and goes tearing away, come
! 1948 he will have for following only an I'M
important minority Of political queers and
good radiance, too.
About Ickes don't know, would have liked
to see Mr.. Truman heave him, too, but fell
low can't demand that president obey all
his own prejudices, so I can spot him Iches
and still like him for some of the things that
he has done. For example. think his appoint
ments of Lewis Schwellenbach to the Labor
| Department and Paul Herzog to the Labor Re-
lations Board and their statements of policy
| give promise of a new attitude toward the
unions which have been running hog-wild for
years. Schwellenbach said the people in the
Department of Labor would be expected here
after to accept the law as passed by Congress
and not read into it meanings which they think
Congress should have enacted.
| Herzog said his people would have to serve
the interests of the whole people of the United
States whereas up to now this bund has acted
in belief that it was constituted to serve the
CLIO and the AT. of L. They shouldn't have
had to say this but the fact that they did con-
stitutes admission that hitherto their de-
partments were serving Roosevelt's political
following. AS to whether they mean what they
said and intend to compel compliance we will
have to wait and see but, on knowledge of
Truman man and President, to date
see no reason to suspect him of the sort Of
trickery that we have been accustomed to so
long.
|. Winston ChurchilPs squawk over Mr. Tru-
mans announcement of the termination Of
Lend-Lease is very satifying because admir-
ing this rowdy old buck for his patriotism and
courage in saving the war, think Roosevelt
was just snob enough to play up to him be.
cause he is British aristocrats. Churchill
case may be compared to that of old Pete
Alexander of the Cardinals that year when he
had won his world series game from the
Yankees and took on colossal snootful at
night, figuring that for him the season. and
his career, were over Then, next day, in the
ninth, they called the old guy in from a bench
| against the left field wall and with just a
couple OF warm-up throws, he struck out Lag
zerl and saved a ball game that seemed as
hopeless as the cause that Churchill took up
| But MIR. Truman won't BE impressed by
any accent and, while 1 suppose he will have
to do some kind of business to keep Britain
going, it is good for all concerned that the
world be put on notice that it is time for them
to think about getting weaned.
And, whatever history's opinion may be of