Evening star., 1946-11-06
Trumun Will Be Asked
To Step Aside In 1o48

10 SteP ASIDE III I94o
Both Left and Right Wings
Seen in Move for Party Success
By David Laurence
Efforts will be made to persuade
President Truman not to be candidate
for reelection In 1913.
These efforts will come from both tbs
'left" and fright" wings Of the Demo-
cratic Party.
The "left-wingers" will urge Henry
Wallace as the logical candidate and
will argue that the Democratic Party
has not been radical enough under the
Truman administration.
The "right-wingers" will insist that
the country Is turning toward the con-
servative side, that Mr.. Truman can't
win anyhow and that, in the interest Of
maintaining In ONCE . vast number Of
Democratic of1ceholders, he should
yield the nomination and step aside in
favor Of some one who can win.
Among those who viii be prominently
ton, on. the theory that Mr.. Truman
will not run, Is Senator Harry Byrd Of
Virginia. He is one Of the ablest men
in the Senate and, while the radicals
would not support his nomination, it Is
certain that they would not desert the
Democratic banner and support a Re-
publican of the Bricker or Taft school
Of thought
Way to Party Success.
1t has always been -contended in po-
litical circles that unless President is
renominated, the nomination isn't worth
anything to anybody else, for the sue
cessor nominee must run on the record
Of the man who was in the White
House. In tkir instance, however, the
incumbent was not elected President
but was advanced to that office from
the Vice Presidency. Likewise, when a
President chooses not to run, it may
also be argued that If he is q weak can
didate he removes the principal obstacle
to party success, as attention becomes
focused on the new personality and
preferably one with commendable
record Of public service.
Other possible Democratic nominees,
II Mr.. Truman steps aside, are Secre-
tary Of the Interior Krug, who halls
from Wisconsin and Is generally classed
as Progressive. and Secretary Of the
Navy James Forrestal, who is one Of
the ablest men the public service has
!" seen in many years. He Is the type who
would appeal to veterans Of the war
as well as to businessmen. He Is q
practical idealist with a natural in
stinct for governmental work.
II the Democrats think about .
soldier. they might pick Gen. Eisen-
hover. He is not the kind to lift
finger to get the nomination and would
discourage all speculation or political
activity In his behalf, but he doubtless
would serve if drafted by q national
convention. Union labor doesn't like
the military mind in high ONCE be-
cause of fear that such a mind would
not be sufficiently pliable to suit union
labor. But II the chances Of Demo-
cratic success with Truman nomina-
ton are considered by the politicians
to be nil. they would not hesitate to
Jump on . bandwagon for Gen. Eisen.
hover
SubOrdinates Weld Power.
AS Government operates nowadays, It
is the subordinate officials in the boards
and bureaus who really WELD the power
from which labor unions derive their
special privileges and only a house,
cleaning Of a whole party eliminates that
situation. whereas q continuance Of the
same party In power means relatively
little change In such boards and bu-
reaus
The Truman withdrawal from the
presidential race would not come right
away. In order to hold the party to-
gether and to command party sup
port in Congress during the next two
years, it would be natural for denials
to be entered now about the Presidents
intentions and to leave the question OF
another nomination unanswered until
shortly before the national conventions
In June, 1948.
Meanwhile, 1t seems probable that
many politicians will act on the as
sumption that the Truman record Is
not good enough thus far to warrant
another nomination. The President
would have to reverse many Of his poll
cies to gain popularity and he has 80
much difficulty already in attempting
to maintain party harmony that 1t is
. tossup whether he will modify his
policies in the next two years.
(Rsproduction Rights Reserved.)