Evening star., 1948-02-19
The Political Mill
Wallace and ForIey Give
Blows to Truman HOPES
ALP Victory in Bronx Stuns Leaders
Farley Talk Held Impolitic
BY Gould Lincoln

ny UOWU Lincoln
If President Harry S. Truman survives the
coming presidential election and wins, he will
have demonstrated he has more political lives
than any other living politician. In one day,
Henry Wallace and the American Labor Party
showed that Mr.. Truman has not the slightest
chance OF carrying New York State and James
A. Farley, whose support of Mr.. Truman has
been acclaimed, came out with an astonishing
speech in which he attributed the ills of the
world to the late President Franklin D. Roose-
velt's third and fourth terms in the White
House. What next?
The victory Of Mr.. Wallace and the ALPS
candidate, Leo Isacson, in the oath New York
congressional district, was not only amazing
but devastating to Democratic chances in the
Empire State next November. Mr.. Wallace is
to be the ALPS candidate for President
against President Truman and the Republican
nominee, still to be selected. The oath New
York district, in the Bronx, which takes in a
slice OF Harlem, has been overwhelmingly
Democratic. 1t has been Bronx Boss Ed
Flynns to do with pretty much as he liked.
Mr.. wallace and his third party seized the
opportunity to challenge Mr.. Flynn, and
through him President Truman, in this by
election for House seat.
Apparently MI. flyQu accepted the chal-
lenge, and inferentialy, so did Mr. Truman.
Anyway, Mayor ODwyer of New York, Mrs.
Eleanor Roosevelt widow of the President,
and other big figures in New York's Democracy
invaded the 24th district to speak for Karl
Proper, the regular Democratic candidate,
and to attack Mr.. Wallace. On the other side.
Henry Wallace and Representative Marcan-
tonic, ALP, spoke for Mr.. Isacson, who won
h1y vofo ~ 10 q
Organization Admits Bad Defeat.
The high Democratic command here admits
off the record-the party took serious licking.
The Democrats carried this district in 1s4s
by $4,000 to $4,000 for the ALP candidate, with
the Republicans trailing and polling about
$4,000 votes. The high command Is saying
some harsh things about the failure of Ed
Flynn and his organization to get out the
vote. Attention is called to the fact that Mr.
Flynn retired to his country estate and Demo-
cratic State Chairman Fitzpatrick went to
Florida. The ALP, Mr.. Wallace and the
"Commies" went to work in the district day
and night.
There was small vote out-and the ALP
was responsible for getting out what there was.
The Republican vote Shrank to 1,482-from
5000 in 1916. This does not look any too good
III tAlc GlbIlcI Lie cxpldIlH-
ton advanced by the COP is that its voters,
knowing they had not a chance in the world,
just stayed away from the polls. There is an
inclination on the part of some Democrats to
claim that the Republicans went to the polls
and voted for Mr. Isacson-but there is no way
on earth OF proving this
With about $4,000 potential voters not
hothering to 60 to the polls, it is obvious that
there Is no impelling loyalty to the Truman
administration in this district. Jews and
Negroes make up large part of the districts
population. To both, Mr.. Wallace and his third
party issues make strong appeal.
Wallace Attacked Truman Sincerity
In the light of President Truman's strenuous
work 10 have the United Nations support the
partition plan for Palestine, with Jewish
and an Arab country to be established, it looks
as though Jewish voters in this district were an
ungrateful lot. However, Mr.. Wallace told
them that President Truman was for the Jews
in his conversation, but for the Arabs in action.
He based this argument on the fact the Tru-
man administration has done nothing to lift
the embargo on arms from this country to Jews
in Palestine.
The Democratic high command wants to
know why Jim" Farley opened up on the lats
President Franklin D. Roosevelt so harshly in
his address at Colgate University last Tuesday.
Particularly when he was being listed as an aid
to President Truman and was preparing to at
tend the Jefferson-Jackson dinner here along
with President Truman. 1t contends that the
Farley speech could only ALLEVIATE the ardent
New Deal Democrats, devoted to the memory
of President Roosevelt.
With the Democrats of the South climbing
all over MIR. Trumans frame because of his
demand for antilynching, antipoll tax and
FEPC legislation, his chances appear at low
ebb 1t is noticeable, too that recent public
opinion polls have showed that, outside of the
Solid South Mr.. Truman will lose the election
to Gov. Dewey, Mr.. Stassen or Gen. Eisenhower,
and that his only chance appears to be against
Senator Taft. Indeed, in these polls, Mr.. Tru
man carries only the South.
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