Evening star., 1944-04-22
Stassen's Stock Rises
May Get Second Place
To Dewey on Ticket
By David laurence.


While Republican leaders are begin
ming to assume that Gov. Dewey viii
be their presidential nominee, there Is
no such certainty about the second
place on the ticket. Lately the name Of
former Gov. Stassen of Minnesota, now
a lieutenant commander in the Navy in
the South Pacific, has been suggested as
possible way Of securing harmony in
the party.
Although Comdr. Stassen had no
understanding with the Willkie faction
Of the party and entered the presidential
race on his own, 1t is nevertheless true
that the international views of the
former Minnesota Governor are some
what in accord with those Of independ-
ent Republicans who have hitherto
looked to WILKES leadership.
Seantor Ball, Republican, of Minne-
sofa. who Is conducting campaign for
Comdr. Stassen-inasmuch as the latter
cannot speak for himself on account Of
naval regulations-is not suggesting
Comdr. Stassen for second place, but for
first place. The Minnesota Senator in
sists that Comdr. Stassen Is great ad-
ministrator and would make an excellent
President.
Points to First Campaign.
"In his first campaign for Governor"
says Senator Ball, "Comdr. Stassen pro-
posed labor relations law for Mime
sofa, outlawing certain unfair practices
on the part Of both employers and en-
ployes and requiring Today concih-
alton period before any strike. That
was during period of severe labor dis
turbances in the State, encouraged by a
State administration which openly sup
ported the most radical faction of organ
lied labor In fact, the situation In
Minnesota at that time was very similar
to that in the Nation today. The people
Of the State, which is about half rural
and half metropolitan, were up in arms.
demanding that drastic action be taken.
All kinds of proposals for punitive action
against unions were being made.
'But Comdr. Stassen realized that
while the pendulum had swung too far
in governmental favoritism of unions,
the people would suffer If it were per-
mitted to swing too far In the other
direction, and that an anti-union pro-
gram was not the right answer. The
fair, moderate program he proposed did
not please the extremists Gin either
camp, but it made sense to the people
and they elected him.
Despite that. strong majority of
the Legislature elected with him in
1888 wanted far more punitive labor
law than did the Governor. The leg
islators were insistent. It was either
their drastic labor law or none. Mr..
Stassen stuck doggedly to his guns.
Night after night he met with groups Of
20 or 30 legislators, going over the
various bills line by line. Concessions
were made on both sides and in the
end a law embodying all the major
proposals the Governor had made in
the campaign was passed overwhelm-
ingly. It has been in operation i've
years, and during that time stoppages Of
production due to labor disputes have
been reduced In Minnesota to q fraction
OF the natlonal average.
Believes in Duty First. .-se
Coupled with Comdr. Stassen's habit
Of thinking beyond the election is his
faith in the people and his conviction
that their decision on any issue, once
they have all the facts, will be right.
He regards leadership on major issues
as the duty Of any public official. He
could, for ~instance, have lodged the
then controversial foreign policy issue
before Pearl Harbor on the grounds it
was national and not State issue.
instead, he told the people Of Minne-
sota and the Nation repeatedly that
Axis aggression was potential threat
to all free peoples and that the United
States could not hope to avoid war II
the Axis triumphed. On that basis he
favored our aid to Britain. Foreseeing
that we might have to fight regardless,
he never fell into the pitfall Of char
acterizing aid to Britain as a sure way
Of avoiding war for ourselves"
Comdr. Stassen represents the young
er wing of the Republican party. just as
does Gov. Dewey. Politicians have al
ways felt that a well-ba1anced ticket Is
attained when one of the nominees
comes from the East and the other from
the Middle West or Far West. To
select two Republican Governors for
the Republican ticket would be in con-
formity with precedent. It will be re-
called that Comdr. Stassen ran second
to Gov. Dewey in Wisconsin and also
carried the Nebraska primaries. He Is
well liked in the Middle West and while
his friends are not going to admit that
their candidate Is out of the running
tor first place on the ticket, neverthe-
less political leaders would not be sur
prised If the ultimate ticket was Dewey
Stassen.
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