Evening star., 1946-06-10

1OrR editorial, dlIel oColdi lhS via
frequently inadequate men in large
posts really grow, expressed the
hope that Mr.. Vinson would steadily
grow until he measures up to the
great office into which he has been
so suddenly thrust.
Perhaps it is unfair to Mr.. Vinson
to say that it gives him a headache
to look into lawbook, but it is
certainly true that he has looked
into very few in recent years. Poll
tics Is his real career, the field in
which he is best equipped and most
at home. True, for few years he
was judge but President Roosevelt,
who put him on the bench, had a
war job for him to do and took him
off. In the last three years he has
occupied four different Federal posi-
tions-none long enough for any
one to tell whether he was good,
bad or Indifferent.
Practical Reasons.
An able. shrewd and deeply expe-
rienced politician, a fine, likable man
with many engaging personal traits,
he is now, without warning, pro-
jected into what is really the highest
office in the United States: In GER
tain ways more distinguished, re-
spected and important than the
presidency itself. 1t is known that
he was not the Presidents first
or even his Second-choice. 1t is
not claimed by any one that he is
the best possible man in the coun-
try for the post.
However, there were a consider
able number of practical reasons
why the Vinson appointment was
the easy way out of a tough propo-
sition. For example, there was a
situation on the Court itself that
made it almost impossible to select
a Chief Justice from its own men,
bership.
Also there is the argument (not a
sound one, however, that Mr.. Vim
sons well-knoWn talents for con-
ciliation might compose the feuding
between the Justices and restore
personal and judicial harmony
Those who know the depth and
width of the existing philosophical
and intellectual gap which separates
them regard this as particularly
silly notion.
Another Theory Discounted.
But the most disturbing thing
about the Vinson appointment is
the statement made week before
the announcement by persons close
to him that he was being consid-
cred largely because his selection
would be agreeable to the CIO labor
professionals. This, plus the pres
ent claim of the liberals" that his
inclination is toward the Black
Murphy-Douglas faction on the
Court is an unpleasant thought.
The first suggestion is one which
calm men discount for two reasons
ID because it attributes to Mr..
Truman degree of depravity of
which he is not capable; (2) because
Mr.. Vinson is not radical either by
inheritance, training or disposition
Anyhow, he will have plenty of
time and ample space in which to
grow.
AS to Mr.. Snyder, there is this to
be said-While certainly he, too,
is not the best possible man in the
country for the post, nevertheless,
he is an improvement over Mr..
Vinson as Secretary of the Treasury
and, of course, infinitely better than
Mr.. Morgenthau. At least, he knows
something about money. At least,
he is practical banker. It is fair
to say that he is the best equipped
Secretary of the Treasury since the
late Ogden L. Mills. This, perhaps,
is not very high praise, but it is a
- fact
Target of Blame.
The most interesting thing about
the Snyder appointment, however,
is the light it throws on Mr.. Tru-
man. For good many months a
campaign of extraordinary male
violence, has been made against Mr..
Snyder by the radical press and