Evening star., 1948-10-05
The Political Mill
California May Decide
Wallace Party Future
Campaign Started With High Hopes
Believed to Be Slipping Badly
Bv Gould Lincoln

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 5-The political future
Of Henry Wallace and his new Progressive Party
known as the Independent Progressive Party
in California-wil depend in large part on the
vote cast for the Wallace Taylor presidential
ticket in this State. This Is testing ground.
Since 1t Is frankly announced by Mr.. Wallace
and his followers that their main purpose IL
to build in this country q new, liberal party.
looking to 1850 and 1852, California-along
with New York and few Of the other big
States-will tell the tale November 2.
The campaign here started OF with great
expectations-for Mr.. Wallace. That it has
sipped-and perhaps badly-is the concensus
Of the California political wisacres They hang
their opinion on the ever deepening Communist
tinge with which Mr.. Wallace and his party
have been painted, first by themselves and
then by the Republicans and Democrats.
Where it was once believed that Mr.. Wallace
would get half million votes in the State it
is now figured he will do well to get half that
number Indeed. the Democrats do not credit
him with half that pulling strength.
Miracle Of Organization.
Starting year ago, the independent Pro.
gressive Party-now the Wallace Party-per.
formed almost political miracle Of organiza-
ton. When Mr.. Wallace last winter announced
he would run at the head of a new, third party,
1t was well under way.
Working without stint, the Progressives oh.
tanned nearly 100000 signatures to petition for
a place on the California ballot The required
number was 275,000. One of their campaign
workers told me he estimated that to obtain
this number of signatures. 100000 adults in
the State had been approached
BY the time the Philadelphia convention
rolled around last July, however, there had al.
ready been ructions in the camp. The re-
doubtable Bob Kenny, one-time Attorney
General OF California, an early Wallace sup
porter, doesn't 60 for the third party. The
Communist line, followed by the Philadelphia
convention, added still more troubles. AS the
relations between this country and Communist
Russia have become more and more strained,
Mr.. Wallace and his party have been on the
receiving end Of more and more brickbats. The
failure of the Russians to behave has been the
hardest blow to the presidential candidate who
wanted to do most for the Soviet Union.
The dyed-in-the-wool Wallaceites, speaking
for the party, still tell you that they are going
to roll up a surprising vote. They look to
Harry Bridges and his Longshoremen's Union,
and to Hugh Bryson, president of the Marine
Stewards and Cooks Union, to deliver big votes.
They have Progressive Clubs located in all parts
of the State. They are appealing strongly to
many racial groups particularly the Negroes Of
whom thousands entered the State during the
war.
In San Francisco alone there are now be.
tween thirty and forty thousand, where they
had been practically none The Progressives
are going to town in their efforts to bolster
the longshoremen's strike, which has tied up
Pacific Coast shipping.
Typical Slogan.
Here's q typical slogan:
"The Truman administration, acting through
the Army, is trying to do what the shipping
interests for IA years have tried and failed to
do-break the Democratic AFI CIO, and In.
dependent maritime unions with cabs, and
destroy the hiring halls"
Some of the Progressive Club members, In
agricultural areas, are going into cultivated
areas Of friendly farmers picking truck loads
Of vegetables and sending them to Coast cities
to help feed the men on strike and their
families
Both Republicans and Democrats are strong.
ly interested In what happens to the third
party but for different reasons. The Republi.
cans, who now have the edge In California,
are not averse to . big Wallace vote. The
Democrats see new hope for the Truman ticket
In eVery Wallace logS