Evening star., 1948-07-12
Aorth-South Cleavage
Seen Blocking Choice
q Vice President
Douglas Isn't Popular
With Southerners, but
Compromise Is Possible
By David Laurence

PHILADELPHIA, July IL. - Inc
ene lines of cleavage which threat
eed for a while to prevent the
xmination Of President Truman
se at the moment preventing an
sreement on who shall be nomi-
rted for Vice President.
The vice presidential post can 90
b the man Mr.. Truman picks, as
b controls the convention. But
pre- is no evidence Of any desire
4 tforeclose the contest by orders
TN the White House. On the
6trary, the vice presidential va
4lcy affords an opportunity to
de the delegates q chance to ex-
ass themselves.
IN the final analysis, the President
y have to step in and indicate
y choice. The dilemma is an
Sraordinary one. To placate the
Slth Is one objective. To placate
y New Dealers In the North is
bther, and to placate the terri
4al claimants Is still another.
Justice Douglas for Vice President
vlld satisfy the New Dealers but
i the South. Senator O,Mahoney
Jild please the New Dealers and
q West but not the South. Rep
tentative Rayburn OF Texas might
asfy North and South, as also
ylld Senator Barkley Of Kentucky.
Civil Rights Being Settled.
.faybe in all the talk about con-
$utional reforms affecting the
" presidency. some day there will
bthree Vice Presidents. Certainly
TT had been feasible it would have
finished q way out of the difficulty
(which the Democrats find them
$es this year. If they could select
q from the South, one from the
vst, and one from the East they
cid readily harmonic their party
derences.
Already the tact Of the men be-
hid the scenes in the Truman
enp is settling one serious prob
h-civil rights. The plan is to
peat the 1914 civil rights plank
bm the Democratic platform on
nich Franklin Roosevelt ran for
b fourth term. Surely anything
at Mr.. Roosevelt approved would
] considered good enough by the
sw Dealers. AS for the Southern
s, they accepted the plank four
!ars ago and can't 60 back On 1t
sw. There will, of course, be efforts
amend 1t from both North and
puth but the controversy will end
T not changing a syllable of it.
The collapse of the draft Eisen-
over idea has left the Truman
orces in control here, and they
ill write the platform. Just as in
ne case of the Republican conven-
ION. when the anti-Dewey forces
ould not agree on a compromise
so here, too, there is no
olidarity in the opposition to Mr..
truman. The only reason why the
Eisenhower movement gained uni
ersal support was the fact that
lis views on current political and
economic issues had not been ex-
Iressed, and each faction thought
le would adopt their particular
lew later on.
Revolt Not Insignificant.
The revolt inside the Democratic
|arty cannot be dismissed as in
Egnificant. Even though no op-
|onent was agreed on by the anti
Truman forces as the man around
Fhom to rally. the revolt is deep
|eated and will not be squelched
" the forthcoming Truman nomi-
|ation.
Too many Of the men here who
Ire supporting the President do
lot believe he has a ghost of a
nance of being elected next
Iutumn. There is noticeable air
Il defeatism. 1t will require some
flental acrobatics for the New Deal
srs to embrace the Truman nomf-
sation after the convention.
Yet there is nowhere else to 60
hey do not want to join Henry
Wallace and lose what chance they
night have to reorganize the DEM
,cratic Party along New Deal lines
Mr.. Truman is beaten this year.
The best chance for harmony
lere lies in a decision on the part
( President Truman not to press
he civil rights issue and to accept
he 1914 plank, and also in a per-
onal request by the President to
Justice Douglas to become available
or the vice presidential nomination.
which request is said to have been
made.
The Souht wouldn't like Douglas,
,ut 1t would consider the 1914 civil
lights plank as an excellent solution.
The New Dealers would be happy
md maybe Mr.. Wallace would re-
DIN the fold. Anyway hope springs
'ternal in the breasts Of all poll
icians, at least until election re-
ults are counted.
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