Evening star., 1947-12-19
Fifth Column in Action

SSl0tub ENStsVt
The Wallace third-party movement, de-
scribed by one liberal leader as the fifth
column in action" is running head-on into
stormy political weather.
This Is most notably evident in the
announcement that the Amalgamated
Clothing Workers of America, the most
important union now afi1liated with the
American Labor Party, has turned thumbs
down on the proposal OF the Progressive
Citizens of America to nominate Henry
Wallace for President on a third-party
ticket. This is also evident in the resig-
nation Of DR.. Frank Kingdom as CO.
chairman of the Pea because of his
unwillingness to support Mr.. Wallace in
the third-party role, in the resignation
for the same reason OF BARLEY c. Crum
OF San Francisco, as national vice chair
man, and in the reported decision OF other
important Pea leaders to get out while
the getting is good.
It may be that some of those who are
now forsaking the wallace banner are
motivated, not by An appraisal of what
is best for this country, but by re-
luctance to be found aboard q sinking
ship. Still, the fact remains that the
departure of each one Of them serves to
sharpen the issue, to make 1t clearer that
a vote for Mr.. Wallace will be vote
against the best interests of the United
States.
This is true because, If any one ever
had doubt about it, these defections make
it evident that third party is doomed.
Mr.. Wallace cannot hope to win an elec-
ton. But he can hope to accomplish
one of two things He can hope to pull
enough votes away from President Truman
to insure the election Of Republican who
might be less determined in his hight
against the spread of international COM
munism. Or he might hope, by this threat,
to force the President to abandon or soft
pedal our present policy of opposing
Communist aims
Alex Rose, vice chairman Of the Labor
Party, interprets the third-party move
ment as meaning that the Communist
fight against the Marshall plan and the
Truman policies is being transferred from
Europe to the United States. He charges
that Mr.. Wallace is being used by the
Communists to bring pressure on President
Truman to make concessions to Soviet
Russia or face destruction of his election
prospects next year.
THE Pea movement for third ticket, !"
Mr.. Rose declares. "is not genuine at
tempt for third national party movement
but an attempt at political extortion. It
wants to pressure our Government to sac
rifice important principles OF our foreign
policy and to extract concessions In favor
of foreign government or else launch a
torpedo to destroy the chances of Truman's
reelection 1t wants to succeed at home
where Molotov failed in London"
This can be discounted as one sees Mt.
But it should be remembered that those
who are saying these things and who are
pulling out of the third-party movement
are political liberals, men who have been
friends and supporters OF MIR. Wallace.
They do not include only Mr.. Rose, Mr..
Crum and Mr.. Kingdom. Substantially the
same thing is being said by Wilson Wyatt,
Leon Henderson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, jr.,
and others like them
The words of these men are supported
by the logic of the case. For regardless OF
whether Mr. Wallaces motives are good or
bad a third-party movement would be
bound to play into the hands of Soviet
policy and against our own interests. In
this sense, at least, it would indeed prove
to be fifth column in action.