Fascism, He Says

Fascim, He Says

Like many another left-winger, Commerce Secretary Henry Agard Wallace has a tactic in argument that is Standing Operating Procedure from Union Square to the Kremlin. When he wants to make a reply really strong he puts on the fright-wig, bugs his eyes and cries "fascist." Last week he did it again, and was promptly slapped down for it on Capitol Hill.

This time Henry Wallace saw "fascism" lurking in the topmost Army & Navy brass. His cause of fright: an amendment approved (6-to-1) by the Senate's special committee on atomic energy which would set up a military board to "advise and consult" with the proposed civilian commission controlling atomic matters.

When Henry Wallace heard of the committee's action, he banged away without pausing to learn the amendment's exact language. Cried he: the atomic bill, as it now stood, had "the potentialities of delivering us into the hands of military fascism in this nation." He called on the U.S. people to "rise in their wrath."

"Wave of Propaganda." The man who rose most wrathfully was Senator Arthur Vandenberg, the amendment's author. His anger was fired by what he called "a wave of propaganda" that followed Wallace's eruption--a tide of telegrams from the faithful denouncing the measure.

Arthur Vandenberg called for full attendance of the committee's membership and demanded that the amendment's clear language be published. He and others of the committee lashed out at "deliberate misrepresentation," pointed out that "advise and consult" did not by any stretch of Wallace-eyed imagination mean authority or control by the military. Vandenberg called for another vote on his measure: this time approval was 10-to-1.*

Next day came a less direct but nonetheless stinging blow to mixed-up Henry Wallace. At his press conference, President Truman clarified his own position on atomic legislation. Said he: responsibility for development of atomic energy should rest with a civilian group directly responsible to the President; but the military has an important part to play and should be consulted.

Senator Vandenberg hailed the President's explanation as "a direct definition" of his amendment. Henry Wallace said nothing. But his slur on the generals and admirals stood unretracted on the record. At the table where Henry is now playing footie with right-wing business as well as left-wing do-gooders, the Army & Navy have no seats.

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