Evening star., 1946-02-07
Left Wing compuien
Against Truman Seen
Writer Asks il PAC Is Behind
Ickes Attack on Pauley
BY David Laurence

lckeS Attack on Fauley
By Dapid Laurence
Has the "left wing" group OF radicals
who fought the selection of Harry Tru-
man as Vice President in 1914 begun q
drive to discredit him and prevent his
nomination by the Democratic party in
1948? Or does the left wing hope to
force Mr.. Truman to withdraw from
the race?
Political observers might answer the
foregoing question In the Affirmative
today when they see member Of Mr..
Truman's own cabinet furnishing "aid
and comfort to the Republican opposi-
ton by testifying against the appoint
ment by the President Of man selected
eventually to be Secretary of the Navy.
On the surface it is made to appear
that the testimony was elected from
reluctant witness who simply had to
answer the questions of a congressional
committee. But it seems passing strange
that the President would not be aware
Of all that one member of his own
cabinet knows about . prospective
appointee or would not be able to keep
harmony in his own political family.
Does 1t mean that there will be a
new Secretary OF the Interior soon and
that the present incumbent will shortly
become the head of the Political Action
Committee with its CIO sponsorship?
Does 1t mean that the PAC is applying
this threat now while Mr.. Truman is
under pressure to use his office to help
the unions get their 80 per cent de-
mands or as much Of 1t as he can
price increases or pressure upon the
employers2
Average Map Puzzled.
The average man will find himself
puzzled by these maneuvers and will
wonder what real difference there is
between the special privileges which
Mr.. Pauley is alleged to have sought
in exchange for campaign contribu-
tions-something he vigorously denies
and the open support given by the
PAC in the last campaign to the DEM
ocratic party nominees through the
use Of labor union funds in violation
of the spirit, If not the letter, of the
Federal Corrupt Practices Act? .
The ways Of politics are devious and
Mr.. Pauley is now being denounced as
not qualified to be Undersecretary OF
the Navy because, while Treasurer of
the Democratic National Committee, he
tried to get some campaign funds from
the big boys" Of the West. BY the same
token, any one who was mixed I'D with
the political campaigns of the last
Democratic administration and got
campaign funds for the Democrats
from any businessmen might be held
up for questioning. But the Senate did
not disapprove of the nomination, as
Postmaster General, of Robert Hanne-
gan, who now Is the Presidents most
intimate adviser and who must have
had q lot to do with Embarrassing In
| one form or another.
| 1t Is, OF course, conceivable that Mr..
Pauley, because he is an oil man, might
decide, II he eventually became Secre-
tary Of the Navy, never to touch the
oil-lands problem but might insist that
the President assign some other official
to handle 1t exclusively. Public men
with previous connections or stock in
terests that might embarrass them in
Office have been known to exhibit as
much ethics and integrity In such mat
ters as others who never had previous
relationships with the world Of ma
terialism.
COP Chuckies Seen.
Whether Mr.. Pauley will or will not
make good Secretary of the Navy de-
pends, first, on whether he is likely to
administer fairly the department and
also whether he goes In there commit
ted to scuttle the Navy Department and
make 1t a subordinate agency of the
already topheavy and overburdened
War Department as recommended, In
effect, by the Truman message to Con-
gress.
No one seems to have thought to ask
Mr.. Pauley whether he believes In the
proposed submerging of the Navy. II
he does, then what's the use of making
him Secretary of the Navy for few
months, only to have him pushed out
OF ONCE by the proposed merger, which
calls for secretary of defenseP And
| certainly Mr.. Truman can't be think
ing OF making Mr.. Pauley the big sec
retary Of all armed services.
It is enough to make the Republicans
chuckle with delight as they look to-
ward 1948. What a chance for a man
OF the brains and vision Of Harold
Stassen to come in as President on the
Republican ticket and clean out those
special-privilege parasites who seem to
have infested the Government for the
last decade or more and made 1t a
private preserve for the dispensing of
personal favors and rewards.
The only trouble is that there is also
a group Of special privilege" parasites
in the Republican party who will do
everything In their power to block Mr..
Stassen in the hope OF getting their
hands on the Government SO that they
may select reactionary to take care
OF their interests in the White House.
Maybe the "left-wing'' Democrats
aren't so inept after all In trying to
get left-wing Democrat nominated for
the presidency.
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K