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Show l e mtfu p p p'Lack Lack Lacl 'Lack 'Lackof , ' ( of 'Political Political ' Sense SenseLeads ' Leads Wallace to Oblivion OblivionBy By y BAUKHAGE AIDrnAGE BAUIUTAGE BAUKHAGEVfiil 1 1N1rs Nth /Vfiil Vfiil N1rs / ! Analyst A1Ialyst Anatyat and a1ld Commentator Comme1ltator g ; WNU Service 1616 IGIG Fye Street N W WWashington , WashJngton Washington , D 0 CWASHINGTON CWASHINGTON C CWASHINGTON WASHINGTON - Unless somestrange somestrange some somettrange ttrange strange shift shlt ! In the tide of nationali nationalf national nationalaffairs f ! affairs takesplace takesplace takes takesplace place between beta bern een eeo thetime thetime the thetime time these linesare lines . s . , ry ryare are written wntten andwhen ands and s " when they appear ap s . w wpear pear In hi print . , thename the ? y yname R Rname name that oncebristled oncebristled once oncebristled bristled In thebeadllneS theheadlines the theheadlines headlines beadllneS madethe made madethe f fthe the Paris peaceconference peaceconference peace peaceconference conference shudder shud shudder 1 1der der and corn com completely cornpletely cornpletely pletely confounded confound confounded ed the Trumanadminlstra Trumanadministration Truman Trumanadministration adminlstra administration tion tionwill r rwill administrationwill will be filed under under un under der Wand W and for Baukhagegotten Baukhagegotten Baukhage Baukhagegotten gotten by mostpeople mostpeople most mostpeople people who aren area t subscribers to the theNew theNew theNew New Republic RepublicI I refer to the name Henry Agar AgarWallace AgarWallace AgarWallace AgarWallaceI Wallace WallaceI I havealked have \ talked \alked alked with a great many manymen manymen manymen men who knew Wallace well Most Mostof Mostof Mostof of them who liked lilted him stilll.1ke stilll1ke still . like him himBut himBut himBut But many who supported him hum In thepast the thepast thepast past follow him no longer longerOne longerOne longerOne One of them said to me'Henry me'Henry me meHenry ' Henry 'Henry ' Wallace has been drowned drownedat at last ! In n a sea of ideas He has hasgone hasgone hasgone gone down for the third time and andthere andthere andthere there is nobody with a . lifeline l.1fel.1ne l1fel.1ne l1fel1ne . han ban handy bandy bandy bandyI dy dyI I think of two other men one an anexperienced anexperienced anexperienced experienced government official a atramed atrained atrained tramed trained politician pohtIclan another an ardent ardentNew ardentNew ardentNew New Dealer who happens to be beequipped beequipped beequipped equipped with a mathematical rmnd mind rmnd6harp mindsharp mindsharp 6harp sharp as a steel trap-each trap each trap - - each of these thesemen thesemen thesemen men followed folloVl ed Henry Wallace a long longway longway longway way But each man at one pomt point pomtin pointm pointIn in m his career suddenly stopped stoppedaghast stoppedaghast stoppedaghast aghast at one of Wallace s self sell cre created created ereated ated misadventures shrugged his his6houlders hisshoulders hisshoulders 6houlders shoulders and regretfully turned turnedaway turnedaway turnedaway turnedawayOne away awayOne One of the first flrst criticisms you hear hearfrom hearfrom hearfrom from "allace allace Tiallaces W " allace s political friends fnends IS ISthat isthat isthat that he has no poht pollt cal senseAs senseAs sense senseAs As head of o1 the department of ag agrlculture agriculture agnculture rlculture riculture Wallace according accordmg to tomost tomost tomost most disinterested dlsmterested observers was a a6uccess asuccess asuccess 6uccess success as a policy maker and an anadmmlStrator anadministrator anadministrator admmlStrator administrator ( Don t brmg up the thehttIe thelittle thelittle httIe little pigs-he pigs he pigs - - he did that against agamst every everyone everyone everyone one of his natural predilections prE'dllections prEdllections ' ) As ecretary "ecretary " ' of o1 comrrerce comIl'erce comIlerce commerce ' he was wasa wasa wasa a dismal failureWallac failureWallace failure failureWallace Wallace Wallac did understand agrlcul agricul agrlculwe agriculture agricultare we ture agriculturists ( farmers ) and andagronomy andagronomy andagronomy agronomy He believed beheved that he had hadand hadand hadand ( and has ) ) the correct formula formulafor formulafor formulafor for solving solvmg the economic econOIDlC ( business businessIlls ) ills of the country But Buta Vlhat what -a a - hat he hedldn hedidn hedidn dldn didn t realize reahze was that he was handl hands handscapped handlcapped handicapped capped by what is incorrectly mcorrectIy called calledan calledan calledan an inferiority complex when It Itcomes itcomes itcomes comes to dealing deallng with human be beings beings beIngs ings "ho ho who % " ho made the wheels of bus busness I ! Iness ness go round He had a 6trange strange 6trangeand strangeand strangeand and deep suspicion of the business businessworld businessworld businessworld world Perhaps that wasn wash t so so6trange sostrange sostrange 6trange strange for It reflects the natural naturalattItude naturalattitude naturalattitude attItude of the farmer toward the ' city slicker slacker Perhaps it was an another another another other phase of that shyness which whichcharacterized whichcharacterized whichcharacterized characterized WallaceLet WallaceLet Wallace WallaceLet Let s : look at this suspicion busl bust busllIess bustLess buslCess buslCessOn lIess Less lIessOn LessOn On one of several occasions Wal Wallace Wa Wallace ! lace as secretary 6ecretary of commerce ad addressed addressed addressed dressed a prominent promment group of con con6ervatlve conservative conservatlve 6ervatlve servative business bus mess men . . His col colleagues colleagues colleagues leagues watched the event with con con61derable considerable considerable 61derable siderable trepidation They knew the thegroup thegroup thegroup group was unsympathetic to Wal Wa Wallace Wallace ! lace and that Wallace knew } it t How However However However ever it provided an opportunity to tocreate tocreate tocreate create a friendly atmosphere if ifnothmg ifnothing ifnothing nothmg nothing more Wallace made a swell swell6peech swellspeech swellspeech 6peech speech His colleagues were agree agreeably agreeably agreeably ably surprised surpnsed His audience was wasalmost wasalmost wasalmost almost capitivated capltlvated In tact fact as the the6peech thespeech thespeech 6peech speech went on one after another anotherof anotherof anotherof of the listeners hsteners showed that Wal lace Wallace s views were well received recelved- recelved received- recelvedwere receivedwere receivedwere - were anything but inimical lDlmlcal to business busl buss buslness bussness ness Many of the ideas he ad ad'Vanced advaned advanced 'Vanced Vanced vaned ' were accepted as sound sound68ne soundsane soundsane 68ne sane and sensible So far-so far so far - so good goodWallace Wallace reached the end of his ills pre prepared prepared prepared pared suddenlyovercome script and then suddenly overcome with this strange defen defenlil'Ve defensave defennve lil'Ve lilVe save ' complex th s suspicion said saidsomething saidsomething saidsomething something to tills this lis effect Tornght Tonight TonightI TornghtI I have probably wasted your time timeand timeand timeand and mine IDlne tor for I realize that you couldn youcouldn t possibly agree with me nor I norI with W1th you The whole effect was wasyumed wasruined wasruined wasruinedIntimates yumed ruined ruinedIntimates Intimates Adma1"e Adma1e Admire AdmireWallace's AdmireWallace'9 AdmireWallace9 " Wallace Wallace's Wallaces ' . IntegrityMen Integrity IntegrityMen Men who know Wallace best agree agre e that agreethat agrethat he is absolutely honest thathe thatbe thahe tha that f be he is unselfish that he can bevery be a very avery whichInterests whicinterests deep student of a subject which whic h interests him that he has a power ful powerful theforces thforces ambition to be a leader of the th e forces that wul ww wail preserve old fash ioned coned fashioned fashconed American tree free enterprise enterpnse and andcompetitive an ancompetitive andcompetitive d competitive capitalistic capitahstlc endeavor But he Is willing wining to adopt strange strangemethods strangemethods strangemethods methods to achieve this ( Remem Remember Remember Remember ber the little httle pigs ) In making clear to his friends thatit that thatIt thatIt It was his ambition to be secretary secretaryof of commerce he convinced them of ofhis ofhis ofhis his bel bet et ef of in five propositions Theywere They"ere They TheyB B " "ere ere were ere that 1 He believes the capitalistic capitalistic6ystem capitalisticsystem capitalisticsystem 6ystem system cannot survive anotber another anotberwar anotherwar anotherwar war 2 lie He believes the tbe capitalisticsystem capitalistic capitalisticsystem capitalisticsystem system cannot survive 6urvlve another anotherfinancial anotherfinancial anotherfinancial financial depression depresolOn ; such as we wenent wewent wevent nent went through in the early 30s ' 3 Be He Is convinced convmccd that thc the thecountry thecountry thccountry country Is 1 $ headed for another anothersuch anothersuch anothersuch such depression deprcsslon 4 He believes that this catastrophe catastrophe ca | tastrophe can c n be a avoided vOided it if certam cer certam certain tam simple measures measurcs are taken 5 He believes believeo ; that this end- end endthe endthe end - the perpetuation of free frce enterprlse enterprise enter enterprise prise prlse - Justifies almost anymeans anymeans any anymeans meansAs means As soon asVallace as \ Wallace \Vallace Vallace became sec secretary secretary secretary retary of commerce he attempted to toreorgamze toreorganize toreorganize reorgamze reorganize the department alonglines along alonglines alonghnes lines which had made the depart depart- department department - . ment of agriculture so successful in insofar Insofar insofar sofar as co operation between gov government government govminent ernment minent e and farmers is concerned concernedOne concernedOne concernedOne One of the first steps was to try to toestablish toestablish toestablish establish a system of field agents agentssimilar agentssimilar agentssimilar ( similar to 1gnculture agriculture ' grlcuItu e s county countyagents countyagents countyagents agents ) ) Good men were hard tofind to tofind tofind find it takes time to build bwld such a asystem asystem asystem system The personnel recruited recruitedunder recruitedunder recruitedunder under such conditions and within wlthm so so6hort soshort soshort 6hort short a time VI would ould be bound to m in mclude inelude inelude clude elude many mcompetents incompetents and thus thusopen thusopen thusopen open the system to immediate attack at attack attack tack by an unfriendly congress Nevertheless Nev Nevertheless Nevertheless ertheless Wallace pushed the ideaas Idea Ideaas ideaas as far as he could during durmg his tenure tenureof tenureof tenureof of office This his critics crlhcs say sayshowed sayshowed sayshowed showed his inability mabllity to perform in m afield a afield afield field with which he was unfamiliar unfamiliarshowed unfamiliarshowed unfamiliarshowed showed his tits lack of a1 political sense senseor senseor senseor ( or if 1f iou you ou will his failure falIure to grasp graspthe graspthe graspthe the complexities of inter mter personal personalrelations personalrelations personalrelations relations ) Like many other men who havebeen have havebeen havebeen been thrust into mto high government of offices ofices offlees ( fices ices without suffic soffit ent ant political ex experience expenence perience enence he attempted to absorbthat absorb absorbthat absorbthat that experience vicariously Thevery The Thevery Thevery very fact that he lacked an understand under understand understand stand ng rig of political and personalrelations personalrelations personal personalrelations relations caused him to accept advisors ad advisors advisors visors and counsellors who frequent frequently ly led him astray Perhaps if lf he hehad hehad hehad had been less advised his conduct conductwould conductwould conductwould would have been less ill advised . . . Nations Nahons Keep Jealous JealousEye JealousEye Eye on AntarcticaAdm AntarctacaAdm Antarctica Antarctaca AntarcticaAdm Adm Richard Byrd is about totake to totake totake take off o8 again agam tor for Antarctica With witha a horde of anxious nations Vlorned worried worriedto Vlornedto to death lest he run away with the thefive thefive thefive five million square miles of icecapped ice icecapped icecapped capped rock which covers the south southpolar southpolar southpolar polar regions as the dew coversDixie covers coversDlXle coversDixie DlXle Dixie ( ( but different ) The foreign claims are legitimateenough legitimate legitimateenough legitimateenough enough tor for daring darmg explorers have havebeen havebeen havebeen been nibbling Dlbblmg mbbling at that piece of frost frost- frostbitten frostbitten frostbitten - - bitten plateau ( ( bigger than Europe Europeever ) ever since smce John Bnscoe Briscoe actually dls dos doscovered dlscovered discovered covered . what v.hat vhat was given the name of ofEnderby ofEnderby ofEnderby Enderby land in m the early nmeteenth nineteenth nmeteenthcentury nineteenthcentury nineteenthcentury century Many others followed but butfew butfew butfew few took the keen interest in theAntarctic the theAntarctic theAntarctic Antarctic Byrddid waste that Admiral Byrd dId although he didn dldn t turn in m that thatdirection thatdirection thatdirection direction until unhl after he had flownover flown flownover flownover over the North PoleWhich PoleWhich Pole PoleWhich Whichremmds Whichreminds Which reminds remmds me of a dull Sun day Sunday May 9 1926 I was keepmg keeping keepmgwatch keepingwatch keepingwatch watch in the Washington Washmgton office of a feature afeature synd cate . which v.hlch vhlch had the therights therights therights rights to Byrd s adventures We knew Weknew he was going gomg to hop off for forthe the pole from Spitzbergen with Floyd withFloyd Bennett600n Bennett soon 600n but we didn dldn t know tknow whenMessenger whenMessenger when whenMessenger Messenger boys had a habit of droppmg dropping ofdropping ofdroppmg unimportant messages on the onthe particular desk which wluch I occupied occupiedand and I hardly glanced . up when v.hen vhen one still onestill soggy was tossed within wlthm my reach myreach I I finished fimshed the last ep sode epsodeof sodeof of studyingand studymgand the comic strip stnp I was studymg studying and opened the envelope It con contalned contained contamed tained tamed one v . word ord polans polaris polansThat polarisThat That was the code word that thatmeant meant that Byrd had flown over the theNorth North Pole and was back alive On aliveOn November 29 three years lat later er he flew over the South Pole The 1IJght flight Theflight The1IJght was only a small part of ex tended tendedexplorations extended explorations made on two separate twoseparate expeditionsNow expeditIOnsNow expeditionsNow expeditions jealous Now B Bird Byrd rd is off oil again agam with jeal ous competitors withaealous withJealous matching Natchmg watching him with Jealous concern H Hs s expedition expeditionprobably probably will be met with mixed emotions mixedemotions mixede by the penguins pengums who are the arethe aref only human looking lookmg mhabltants inhabitants of Antarctica Byrd s first visit was a wasa wash birdswho novelty to those decorous birds who never go out except in m formal formalevcmng formalevening evcmng evening attire but I imagine Imagme homo sapiens homosapiens has become to them just an another another other sap who has to go in when |