Evening star., 1950-02-19
Southern Developments
Hurt Administration
Activities Of Byrnes, Smothers
Are Challenges to Truman
By Frank X. Kent

Hopes of the administration political
strategists" that they would be able to
stamp out the revolt in the South against
Mr.. Truman before the 1850 election or.
at any rate, before the 1852 national
convention, are at the moment dragging
On the ground.
Actually. the revolt not only is con-
siderably stronger than it was in 1948
but gives promise of real growth in dig
nifty and Importance both in Congress
and in the country. To a large degree
this is due to James F. Byrnes, of South
Carolina. whose strong, public disap-
proval of the Truman policies and pro-
gram has been more effective than any
other criticism that has been made. For
the first time in long and distinguished
career, Mr.. Byrnes. lifelong Democrat.
ex-senator, former New Dealer Roosevelt
favorite, war mobilizer, Supreme Court
justice and Secretary of State, finds him.
self at odds with a Democratic admins
tration.
All that made his recent speeches
assailing the welfare state. Government
waste and deficit financing sensational.
But there were two other reasons that
gave them real force. One, of course.
is the complete absence of any selfish
motive or ambition. There is no one Mr..
Byrnes wants to punish and no one he
wants to reward For variety of highly
practical reasons he must be acquitted Of
any personal presidential aspirations.
The governorship of South Carolina is
not a step up for him, but a step down.
He will make good governor. but all the
place can do for him is give him mega
phone through which he may speak with
a little more authority than that of a
private citizen to the South and to the
country.
The second reason is the general
recognition of the conviction back of
his words. For the first time in his po-
litical career Mr.. Byrnes, unbound by
organization ties and with no obligations
either of party leadership or personal
loyalty, is free to express fully his con-
victions. 1t. must be a great relief to
him.
Those best informed as to conditions
believe there is at least an even chance
that the Florida Democratic primaries
in May will simultaneously strengthen
the Byrnes leadership and the Southern
revolt. Ir those primaries Senator
Claude Pepper and Congressman George
A. Smathers are contesting for the
senatorial nomination. If Senator Pep
per should win. the situation in the
Senate and in the South would remain
about as it is. But if Mr.. Smathers is
successful, the effect upon Mr.. Truman
and his program would be damaging
and immediate. 1t naturally would re-
move one of his strongest supporters in
the Senate, substituting a man who is
anything but sympathetic toward his
program. particularly that part of it
represented by the FEPC. It also would
mean that the Florida delegation in the
1852 convention would be anti-Truman,
1t would, in fact, mean trouble for the
Administration all up and down the line.
For Senator Pepper is, perhaps, the
loudest and most consistent supporter
OF the welfare state and the Truman
program in Congress. Except only Sem
ator Murray of Montana, he has no
equal in the Senate for servility to the
CIO.
Fifty-year-old Mr.. Pepper has been
in the Senate IA years. His extreme
leftwing tendencies, particularly his
CIO affiliations, have made him many
enemies in Florida and there are some
peculiarly vulnerable spots in his record.
Nevertheless. he is a formidable figure
in fight. His opponent, Mr. Smathers,
is SO years old, served in the Marines
in the last war, is now finishing his
second term in the House Able and
likable, Mr.. Smathers is regarded as
having about an even chance. If he
should win, it would be of considerable
national Importance. The CIO poll
ticians, recognizing what the loss of
Senator Pepper would mean to them,
are trying to find some way of helping
him without being obvious enough to
create an issue. In other words, their
support could become a liability.