The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-02-18
Observations
Senator Taft
Now Regarded
as Possibility
BY Helen Essery

Bob Taft, the senior senator
from Ohio, as potential dark
horse" for the presidential nom
ination when the Republicans meet
in Chicago.
Taft has pledged himself TO the
camp Of Ohio's Governor John
Bricker who. at present, appears
= 10 have slight chance OF heading
the COP ticket in November. The
principal object in Brokers way
. is New York's Governor Thomas 4.
Dewey, who appears far out in
front as the likely Republican
standard bearer.
II Brokers presidential drive
fizzles, Taft Is ready to climb
aboard the Dewey bandwagon. but
conservative Republican forces al
ready are marshallng a Draft
Taft" campaign to be put on If.
for any reason, Dewey also Is stop
ped Despite Taft's protestations
that he is for Bricker and Brick
er only. and then for the party
nominee. observers feel that he
will welcome an opportunity 10
run.
His votc-setting potentialities,
however, are in the dark. He con-
cededly is one OF the ablest men
in the Senate, but some quarters
question whether he has political
''it'. They think he lacks the hu-
man. personal appeal of a Dewey
or a Macarthur.
One significant fact which has
escaped general attention in dis
cussions Of the Pacific war has
been the sharp reduction in the
length of the lulls between ma or
Allied operations.
Recent developments indicate
that the periods between opera
tons will grow shorter in the COM
ing months and that two or more
may be launched simultaneously
because of the rapidly mounting
strength of American land, sea and
air forces.
After the Jap attack on Pearl
Harbor, there was a long wait be-
fore the Americans gathered ships
and men for the Guadalcanaf in
vasion in August. 1882. The next
major move was in May. 1945,
when the laps got knocked off
Attu and had to abandon Kiska a
few months later.
The pace was stepped up ire
mendously beginning last Nov.
when United States forces landed
on Bougainville island in the
northern Solomons. Even while
that beachhead still was being
enlarged slowly, other powerful
units on Nov. 90 swept into the
Gilberts and cleaned up 5000 Japs
in four days.
Then. in December. New Britain
Island was invaded and land drive
was started against the Jap base
at Rabaul. A little more than
month later came the gigantic in
yasions of the Marshalls.
Small wonder the Tokyo radio
recently has been warning its lis
teners that they must be prepared
for setbacks and must make every
effort to push back" the advancing
Allies.
WAYNE L. Morse's resignation
from the War Labor Board to make
the race for the Republican sem
atorial nomination in Oregon
caused no tears in WLB circles.
Morse. stormy petrol OF the
board. long has been a chronic
dissenter. He flayed the board
action in approving a wage agree
ment signed while the coal miners
were on strike.
Morse also objected vigorously
10 the fact that Economic Car Vim
son frequently overrules the board
and takes cases under his own
wing.
Things finally got TO the point
where the Oregon law school dean,
long skilled in labor disputes, rare
" attended the WLB's inner coun-
cils.
At least one naval officer has
cause to be grateful for establish
ment of the WAVES.
Just before an extremely import
ant conference the other day, the
Aofficer called his office and told
the WAVE assigned to duty there
to notify the others concerned that
he would not attend.
His wife was i'll with the flu,
he said. and he could find no one
to care for their three children.
The WAVE neatly solved the
problem by offering TO 20 to the
officers home and do turn at
nursing while the officer attended
the conference.
There's nothing In the rule book
about such arrangements, but It
worked