Evening star., 1946-09-18

can DeleVe elJIleT IIlhU llc Ildu ilO'
read the speech when he Endorsed
1t; or that he did not understand it;
or that he was, for political reasons
trying to placate Mr.. Wallace anc
his left-wing friends.
None of these reasons is either
adequate or credible but the fac
that he acknowledged his mistake
instead of denying it, assumed the
blame himself instead of trying tc
make the reporters hold the bag,
entities him to a certain respect.
Three -Thumbed Oratory.
However, all that aside, and view
ing the incident in retrospect, the
light in which the whole business
puts Mr.. Wallace is the worst in
which he has yet appeared. The
country has become accustomed to
his unbalanced, three thumbed
oratory which is regularly cheered
by the Communist press and in
which the left-wing fringe takes
unbounded delight. His most re-
cent utterance was typical of them
all. 1t was delivered under the aus
pices of the two new radical COM
mittees at the opening OF the beat
Dewey" campaign, the defeat of the
Governor being the avowed first
essential" of the CIO-Communist
combination in New York.
Mr.. Wallace, his speech, his spon-
sors and his audience were all IN
character. They belonged together
They fitted. The one thing that
did not fit was the mistaken Truman
Endorsement. That, Of course, was
what made 1t serious, caused reper-
cussions all over the world, deeply
disturbed Mr.. Byrnes and inspired
the unhappy idea that there had
been a change in American foreign
policy without consultation with the
Secretary of State.
The notion that the speech was
an attack upon the American policy
as pursued by Mr.. Byrnes and thor
oughly pro-Russian in interest was
heightened by the fact that speak
ing at the same meeting on the same
platform and on the same subject
was Mr.. Wallace's close friend and
chief booster, the ineffable Senator
Claude Pepper, outstanding eulogist
of Stain and Tito and so pink as
toebe practically red.
Senator Pepper went farther than
N1r. Wallace, though in the same di-
lection. While MIR Wallace strong
ly intimated that his own country
vas all wrong and the Russians all
right, Mr.. Pepper openly denounced
American foreign policy as bun
Cling" and our attitude toward Russia
as wicked. In other words, here was
a cabinet officer and United States
Senator addressing an audience
highly favored by Communists and
sponsored by two committees with
extreme radical leanings, in way
to persuade that the American Gov
ernment itself is not unitedly back
Of the American policy and that our
Secretary of state is misrepresent-
ing the people of this country
abroad.
Views Wholly False.
II there could be anything more
damaging to the cause of interna-
tional cooperation than this, it Is
not easy to name it. In the first
place, it is wholly false. In the Sec
ond place, those who voice these
views have no following outside OF
the incurable radicals who consist
emily promote economic chaos. When
the President withdrew his hasty
and unwise Endorsement the utter
ances Of Mr. Wallace ceased to have
much significance. Those of Mr.
Pepper never did have any. But
Mr.. Truman in correcting his first
mistake made a second mistake
His first mistake, of course, was ir
letting 1t go out that he indorseo
In full the Wallace speech; the sec.
ond was In stating that all he In
dorsed was Mr.. Wallace's right tc
express his views.
Undoubtedly Mr.. Wallace has @
right publicly to express his views
on foreign affairs as a private citi-
zen. But Mr.. Wallace is not a pri-
vate citizen. He is the Secretary
Of Commerce in the Truman cabinet
with not the remotest connection
with, or responsibility for, foreign
policy. AS a member of the cabinet
1t is manifest improperly for him
publicly to express views on foreign
affairs in conflict with those of the
President and Secretary of State
and no man of normal reactions anc
balance would think of doing so
Such an act amounts to sabotage
OF the American position. 1t woulc
acutely embarrass the Secretary o.
State in his dealings with other ma.
tions. 1t clearly is an impossible
situation. And 1t is mea sIIre n