Evening star., 1944-07-16
PrecOcious House Freshman,
Fulbright Seeks Senate Seat
Author of 55.Word Congressional Statement On
Foreign Policy Wants Part in Formulation
OF Peace Guarantees
By Raymond p. Brandt.

When Representative James william
Fulhright OF Arkansas. author Of the
nonpartisan resolution for postwar in
ternational cooperation, was teaching
Law at the State university at Fayette-
willie he urged his students to 60 into
politics. II they did not, he warned,
the American Government would get
no better.
Most OF the faults in government"
he taught, can be traced to personnel.
Business. because it is profitable, has
attracted the smartest people. If you
can have a good Governments rea-
sonable, honest and clean government
with intelligent people in it-other
problems will solve themselves"
Fulbright took his own advice after
q personal lesson in the power of local
politicians. Elevated to the presidency
of the State university in 1899 at the
age of "a. he was fired two years later
by Gov. Homer Adkins in purge"
of State school officials. The reason
for his dismissal, Fulbright says, was
not his administration of university
affairs but the outspoken editorial COM
ment Of his mother in her column, "As
See It," in the Fayetteville Times,
owned by the Fulbright family. She
had written that Adkins election to
the governorship demonstrated that the
voters preferred backshpper to
statesman" Adkins retaliated by slap
ping young Fulbright out of the presi-
dents chair. A year later Fulbright
entered the Democratic primary in
the Sd Arkansas congressional dis
trict against an Adkins protege and
won by an overwhelming majority.
Seeks Senate Seat.
Now, after a term in the House
during which he has distinguished him
self on the floor and in the Foreign
Affairs Committee, he is seeking the
senatorial nomination which is equiv
alent to election in Democratic Ar
kansas. One of his opponents is Gov.
Adkins. More formidable opposition,
however, is expected from the incum-
bent. Senator Hattie W. Caraway, and
Col Thomas Henry Barton of Ell Dorado.
president of the Lion Refining Co. A
fifth contestant Is Rosser Venerable,
a veteran of the World War. who has
unsuccessfully sought Office in various
local elections
The primary will be July Is, and
the run-off, If no candidate receives
a majority, is scheduled for August
8. Political observers expect Mrs. Cara
way, who has served in the Senate since
1913, first by appointment and then by
election and reelection, to lead in the
first primary. She is the widow of the
late Senator Thaddeus H. Caraway,
whose whitening sarcasm amused the
country during the 20s. She is chair
man Of the Enrolled Bills Commit
tee, and member of the Agriculture,
Commerce and Library Committees.
During her incumbency she has en-
joyed the experienced aid of her hus-
bands secretary, Garrett Whiteside, the
dean of senatorial secretaries, who has
served on Capitol Hill for 81 years.
Had Fulbright been content to remain
In the House, he probably could have
been reelected for as many terms as he
wanted. Instead he chose to enter one
of the toughest senatorial primaries Ar
kansas has ever held. not excluding the
1888 special election in which Mrs Cara
way had the flamboyant but effective
aid of the late Huey Long of Louisiana,
who wanted to show that he was
stronger than the late Senator Joseph
Robinson of. Arkansas, then backing
another candidate.
Has Varied Interests.
Fulbright believes it is time for Ar
kansas to be represented in the Senate
by businessman who knows the prob
lens of the Middle West and at the
same time is informed on national and
international affairs. His business back
ground includes a law degree from
George Washington University and the
handling of the family's lumber COM
pany, an investment company, bottling
works and the Fayetteville newspaper
NDckI EIElH r.