Evening star., 1946-09-24
Naming Of Hartman
Ends 'Appeosement'
His Guiding Hand on Moscow
Seen Since San Francisco
By David Laurence

cS~t Sft~S Sah -
BY David Laurence
Appointment of Averell Hartman tC
be Secretary of Commerce has an ex-
ternal as well as internal Importance.
Mr. Hartman is known to have been
among the first to drop the "appease-
ment" idea and urge Arm policy with
Russia. His guiding hand has been be-
hind American foreign policy ever since
year ago when he came to the San
Francisco Conference from Moscow.
where he had been serving as ambassa-
dor.
Mr.. Hartman was a close friend of
the late Harry Hopkins and is thor
oughly familiar with Russian-American
relations. His advice and counsel have
been distinctly on the side OF maintain
ing firm hand
So, in effect, President Truman has
replaced one member of his cabinet who
favored "appeasement" with another
who tried "appeasement" himself and
came to the conclusion 1t wouldn't work.
Advice Will Be Private.
AS Secretary OF Commerce, Mr.. Harri-
man will have no more to do with the
shaping of foreign policy than any other
member of the cabinet except to furnish
advice privately to the Secretary of
State OF the President when 50 re-
quested. There will be no difficulty here,
because Mr.. Hartman is completely In
sympathy with the Truman-Byrnes
policies. But to the diplomats abroad
who know Mr.. Harrimans views 1t re-
moves any last vestige of doubt as to
what is the American Governments at
titude toward Russia.
The main significance of the appoint
ment, however, lies in the domestic
field. Mr.. Hartman is one of the few
business men who stood high in the
councils of the New Deal. His business
training and belief in sound economics
never caused him to swallow the New
Deal philosophy as whole but he did
dif1er from most business men in his
approach to New Deal programs. He
felt that wherever business was con-
cerned, it should sit down and argue
the matter and present it's viewpoint
He believed that business men should
be working with instead of being an
tagonistic to the administration. As
head of the Business Advisory Council
of the Commerce Department, he played
an important part in keeping the door
open to the White House during the
Roosevelt administration. Since the
council didn't believe in publicity or in
public debate, many reform was toned
down from its radical beginnings
through the advice of Mr.. Hartman and
his associates on the Business Advisory
Council
Business Policies in Line.
The policies of President Truman to-
ward business are much more in line
with the Hartman approach than were
those OF Mr.. Roosevelt, but it may be
doubted, if Mr.. Roosevelt had lived.
whether the postwar era would have
seen him as aggressive for new dealism
as he was in pre-war days.
The Hartman appointment is of
major political Importance. While Mr.
Hartman is far from accepting any
conservative viewpoint that comes be-
fore him just because he Is a business
man, 1t Is nevertheless true that busi-
ness men welcome the selection. The
business world has confidence in the
integrity and objectivity of Mr.. Harri-
man and will lay the cards on the
table and tell the new Secretary more
about what is going on to impair pro-
duction than they would have told his
predecessor
BY making this gesture toward busi-
ness-for it will be so regarded even
though Mr.. Hartman is not . con-
servative in his views-the President
will have gone a long way toward re-
storing confidence in those quarters
where he has lacked it.
Also, the period ahead must neces-
sarily be one Of greater and greater
participation by the United States in
world trade. That's something Mr.,
Hartman fully understands and is
ANXIOUS to encourage. He may be able
to do more toward expanding Ameri-
can markets. than anybody who could
have been appointed at this time in
a Democratic administration. For MIR.
Hartman not only is familiar with
American business and financial prob
lens but also with the intricate prob
lens of world business and world f.
nance-an ideal Secretary of Commerce
in times like these.