Evening star., 1946-03-25

nominate and elect members OF
Congress who share its views. The
second was q statement from Secre-
tary Of Commerce Henry Wallace
urging that members Of Congress
who fail to support their party
leadership be subjected to party
discipline. The third was a speech
by Democratic Chairman Robert
Hannegan in which he denounced
the coalition Of Southern Demo-
Gratis and Republicans who have
opposed parts of the administra-
ton program and warned Demo-
cratic dissenters of the conse-
quences.
On the surface, these three proc
lamations seem individual and un-
connected. Actually, they are moth
ing of the kind Actually, they are
essentially the same, aimed in the
\same direction, at the same people
and using the same ammunition
Mr.. Sidney Hillman, head of the
PAC; Mr.. Wallace, and Mr. Hanne-
gan are close personal and political
friends. OF the three, Mr.. Hillman
Is by far the strongest, carries
much more weight, is able to swing
many more votes and raise much
more money.
Depend on Hillman.
The other two see eye to eye with
Mr.. Hillman, depend on him polit-
tcally much more than he on them.
Mr.. Hillman's $6,000,o00 announce
ment came first. The Hannegan-
Wallace utterances followed. If the
three did not consult and conspire
in advance; If they had no knowl-
edge Of what each was going to do
or say; if they had not formed a
little coalition" of their own, then
the content and timing of their
Individual announcements consti-
tute one of the most extraordinary
condolences of politics.
1t Is the sort of coalition" which
the constituent parts are compelled
to deny. But, while collusion can
not be proved, the circumstantial
evidence is strong and the denials
do not carry conviction. For one
thing, politically, these three in the
past have uniformly operated to-
gether. For another, Mr.. Hannegan
has made painfully obvious his
anxiety 10 keep on the good side"
Of the CIO. For another, Mr..
Wallace, to considerable degree,
Is CIO political product. without
the CIO he would be a political
joke. HFor another, the CIO cannot
get very far politically without
governmental support.
Most informed men in public life
are fully aware of these facts. Ac-
cordingly, it is not surprising that
the Hillman-Wallace-H -Hannegan ut
terances should have stirred resent
r1ent - particularly among Demo-
Gratis who are not cowed by the
CIO lobby, who have convictions
OF their own and vote independently.
To these an exhortation on the evils
OF independence from Mr.. Wallace
is partly amusing and partly Of
fensive. Mr.. Wallace, it will be re-
called, very recently supported for
Congress man who was not on
the Democratic ticket at all and
seemed closer to the Communists
than to the Democrats. Mr.. Wallace
isn't anybody's idea of a regular.
Talk about party discipline from him
Is slightly ridiculous.
Wallace Seen Hedging.
We are now told 1t is Mr.. Wallaces
purpose to take the stump and In
q series of speeches in the South
and elsewhere urge the voters to
drive out Of the party those mem
bers OF Congress who do not support
Administration measures which he
andAthe CIO approved. In his Satur-
day = night speech he appeared to
hedge little on the purge idea,
but he Is hooked up with the CIO
plan nevertheless. Put all this to-
gether and it amounts to purge"
financed by the CIO, ballyhooed by
Mr.. Wallace and by Mr.. Hannegan.
II 1t does not add up to that, then
1t makes no sense. OF course, it is
not going to get any farther than
Mr.. Roosevelt's famous purge" of
1898, though if by any chance, some
Democrats not liked by the CIO
should be defeated, undoubtedly the
C1O would claim full credit.
What this attempted purge" will
do. however, is further divide the
party, increase bitterness between
the factions and improve Republi-