Evening star., 1947-12-13
The Political Mill
Stumbling Blocks Pile Up
In Truman Election Path
Wallace Drumfre to Bring Results,
Pauley Speculation Blow to Party
Bv Gould Lincoln

By Gould Lincoln
Stumbling blocks in the>pathway Of q Tru-
man reelection, placed there by Democrats.
are piling up.
First there is the constant drumfire against
President Truman and his administration by
Henry A. Wallace, whose ambition to succeed
himself Vice President was defeated by the
nomination of Mr.. Truman. Fuel to the Wal
lace anti-Truman fire was added later when,
as President Mr.. Truman eliminated Mr. WAL
lace from his cabinet
Second, the revelations regarding grain spec
ulations OF Edwin w. Pauley special assistant
to the Secretary Of the Army, are proving a
major embarrassment. The President, In an
october radio address, had denounced specu-
lators in foodstuffs, declaring that they were
in large part responsible for increased prices
and urging that legislation be enacted to regu-
late speculative trading on the exchanges And
now particular friend Of Mr.. Truman whom
he had sought to make Undersecretary of the
Navy, whom he had appointed an ambassador,
representing the United States on the repara-
tions commission abroad, and who today holds
high post in the administration, admits that
he has been trading in grain futures to the
tune of hundreds of thousands of bushels.
Can Be Real Threat.
The Wallace enmity can become a very prac-
tical threat to Mr.. Truman Again and again
Mr.. Wallace has admitted he would back a
third party-and would head it himself II
necessary. This could mean only division in
the Democratic vote in the presidential election
next year. To indicate the extent of his dis
affection, Mr.. Wallace has said II he had to
choose between the Democratic President and
Senator Taft Of Ohio, Republican, he would
vote for the latter. The Wallace following,
while neither 50 deep as q well nor so wide
as church door, in all probability would be
large enough to make certain q Republican
victory In New York and California and q
number of important States lying between
The Pauley affair Is a different kettle Of
hsh 1t tends to smear the whole Truman ad-
ministration-to give the impression that there
may have been unlimited speculating In COM
mod1ties by members Of the administration,
while It's head was inveighing against such
practices The Republican members Of Con-
gress now investigating Mr. Pauley and his
transactions have tasted blood and they are
not going to let 60. Indeed, the Pauley trad
ing has been known to them for sometime
although 1t was q speech by Harold E. Stas-
sen, former Governor of Minnesota and now Q
candidate for the Republican presidential
nomination. which supplied the spark for quick
action. The Senate Appropriations Committee
has others on its list for investigation.
Nor does the constant use and attempted use
of Mr.. Pauley in the public service inspire con-
fldence In the judgment Of the President. Mr.
Truman, 1t might be supposed. would have had
enough when the appointment Of Mr.. Pauley
to be Undersecretary Of the Navy was bitterly
opposed, after former Secretary Of the Interior
Ickes had charged Mr.. Pauley with attempting
to make political deal to benefit the owners
Of tidelands oil properties In California, Mr..
Pauleys home State. Mr.. Pauley himself has
been an oil operator on q large scale, too. Yet
Mr.. Truman has repeatedly sought out Mr..
Pauley to intrust to him important work for
the Government.
Split In Party Ranks.
Mr.. Pauley was at one time treasurer of the
Democratic National Committee-and he was
a successful raiser of money, as we'll as a con-
tributor himself He is still the Democratic
National Committeeman for California. al
though there are Democrats in the State who
are demanding that he be relieved Of that office.
The split in Democratic ranks in California,
however antedates the publicity given Mr.
Pauley's speculations in grain and other COM
modities. James Roosevelt son Of the late
President and now chairman Of the Democratic
State Committee, has not seen eye to eye with
Mr.. Pauley, and Mr.. Pauley has suspected that
Mr.. Roosevelt was seeking to line up a slate
of delegates to the Democratic National Con-
vention of the 1Oo-per- cent, dyed-in-the-wool
New Deal type-delegates who would 60 the
limit for Mr.. Roosevelt for the Democratic
vice presidential nomination.
AS Mr.. Pauley has told the Senate COM
mittee, he was within his legal rights to en-
gage in speculative buying and selling on the
grain exchanges. However, Mr.. Pauley, close
ly identified with the Truman administration
and with inside information, was in q strategic