Evening star., 1948-01-20
Bets Put on Wallace
To Step Out and Lead
Followers 10 Truman
Democratic Nomination
In 1852 Real Objective,
Political Seers Assert
By Da,id Laurence

They're beginning TO bet around
here that Henry Wallace. at the
psychological moment next autumn,
will withdraw as a third party can
didate and support President Tru-
man for reelection.
The switch is predicted by poll
ticians who use political reasoning.
Their idea Is that after Mr.. Wal
lace has made a big fuss and cam
paigned the country next summer,
he will have achieved a considerable
notoriety for his cause but not much
political advantage for himself for
1852, which Is supposed to be his
real objective. An imaginary argu-
ment Of one group OF radicals who
are supporting Mr.. Truman, direct
ed to the other kind of radicals who
are behind the third party, would
run something like this:
"Your candidate and our candi-
date have q common enemy-the
Republicans. If Wallace sticks it
out, the Republicans will win easily.
Where does that leave Wallace for
1852? Does he think he can get
elected on a third-party ticket in
1852? Does he think he can get the
Democratic nomination in 1852 II
he has been the man who stabbed
the Democratic Party in the back
in 1948? How does he think third
party Congress could be elected in
1852? without a sympathetic Con-
gress, of course, the Executive is
helpless to get social legislation.
Reasoning for Regularity.
$50 it all comes back to the point
that Henry has to be regular in 194a
If he wants to be the candidate
Of the Democratic Party in 1852.
BY next autumn, President Truman
will have made a campaign that
certainly must satisfy the third
party. He has already in his state
Of the Union message proposed a
revival of the excess profits tax,
denounced the Taft-Hartley law,
and offered a broad program Of So
cial security and health insurance
and other measures that Wallace
favors.
Henry has already won every
thing except maybe his points on
Russia and the Marshall Plan.
But he need not worry about that.
The Republicans will trim the ap-
propiations down and keep the
Marshall Plan from being used as
a step toward a hot war BY
next autumn, the Marshall Plan
will be out of the way as a live
issue in this country, because Con-
gress will have disposed of next
years appropriation.
$50 what is there left for Henry
to campaign on? BY withdrawing
in favor of the Democratic ticket,
Henry will earn the gratitude Of the
party's liberals who want him to
stick with the party that once voted
for him as vice president and gave
him such substantial vote in the
1914 convention for the vice presi-
Dental nomination.
Could Win Machines"
"Tt was the regular Democratic
organizations that beat Henry at
the Chicago convention in 1914, and
these organizations will appreciate
his return to the party and forgive
him his criticisms, as they always
do when they need support to win
an election. Henry has the chance
of a lifetime to make himself a
leader inside the party and do
something he can never do outside.
So there's every reason for Henry
to give up the third party next
October and call on all his follow
ers to support the Democratic ticket.
His statement can be written now
Truman stands for virtually
everything Wallace does. So why
not face realities?"
It's true this line of reasoning
is political and makes no bones
about expediency being more i'm
portant than principle. But that's
practical politics, and it is an open
secret that Mr.. Wallace could have
won that vice presidential nomina-
ton in Chicago in 1914 If he had
not made the wrong kind OF
speeches at the wrong time. The
crusader usually expresses con-
tempt for political maneuvering, but
a certain amount Of 1t has proved
necessary to get party support for
nomination. If Henry Wallace
wants to be the Democratic Party
nominee In 1852, he will never get
that place unless he is a regular
Democrat in 1948.
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