Detroit evening times., 1946-01-11
BEHIND
The NEWS
-, By Paul
MaIIon

Malon
ST. PAUL, MINI, Jan. ia
~ sedate presidential boomlette
Of Harold StaSSen is recognized
here as being under way.
The 3S-ycar-old navy COM
mander is starting out upon the
path which Wllkle trod, appear
ing on the Quiz program of all
.sages Information PleaSe),
making speeches around the
country TO educational organiza-
tlons. rug manufacturers. etc.
HIS speaking style is not
CRISP. His comments are
rarely unexpected. Conse-
quentiy he has attracted little
publicity attention, yet young
people like his eieGn-cut GP-
pearance and he is greatly eT-
tending his foiioWine.
An able young reporter,
uho was closely associated
nth him for some Deeks at
the San Francisco conference.
says StaSsen there established
an intimate respect from for
eign delegates. particularly
the LdtIns, uho Were not SYM
pathetic to his purposes, but
admired him.
COLLEGE students particu-
" larly. / have found. are en-
thusi9Stlc for him l haze heard
an eminent young Republican
express belief that he would be
the next president 'if' the Re-
pubhCanS are smart enough to
nominate hun.
The man in the street out
here suspects he il angling
toward the Senate seat of
Henrik ShipStead, who is up
for reelection this wear. and
not exceptionally popular.
His friends in Washington
have doubted he would care to
take the needless risk in
VolNed. and believe he could
get further. working outside
~ WilIllie did. | do not be-
heVc he will run.
His movement viii bc an in
crcaSing challenge 10 the top
position of Gov Dewey The
New Yorker must survive re-
election this year To maintain
his power. and If popular men
like Farley or ForreStal get into
the race against him tJuStlce
Jackson seems headed toward
the chief iuSticeShip rather than
Albany at the moment Dewey
Will have his troubles.
lie HAS made no move since
IL the national election to eS-
tabliSh a personal national lead
Crship. except Organlzatlonally
i'm his loose personal control OF
national headquarters.
At any rate ! do not find
confirmed Republicans talking
either StaSsen or DeWey, as
much as Bricker The Ohio
ex-governor has a strong per-
sonaI following in the party.
In a three-pdy Republican
contest today. I believe he
would win. A surge WiH come
up for him If he Wins the Ohio
send,orship Burton Vocaney)
in the fall
On the Democratic side, or
inside, the current Word IS
that Mr.. Truman WiH not run.
because neither he nor Mrs.
Truman like the job. They
say Byrnes is the likely man.
| doubt both suggestions.
If Mr.. Truman succeeds in
staving off unpopularity through
this crucial changeover period
he viii like the Job better. Few
leave the White House willingly
Furthermore. Mr.. Byrnes as
vet has not established any de-
gree Of popularity in the handl-
ing Of foreign policy TO warrant
long range presidential eXpecta-
tions.
True enough, he swcrved pol
icy in December TO what the
leftwng was demanding tful-
fllment Of Russian purpoSeS)
and thereby caused the RooSc-
velt-New Deal-leftleaning group
TO cease its criticism of him
and the Communists their pick
citing Of his state department.
DUT a lot Of Democratic water
ID will flow over dams and into
rivulets. before its side of the
picture becomes clarified.
Immediately ahead are the
congressional elections and the
administration got off to a bad
start there. The Truman state
Of-thc-union speech. blaming his
own Congress tor all domestic
ills. was of the same technique
as similar Roosevelt attacks
upon his own party-but 1t was
far different in effect.
With this same game, Mr..
Roosevelt always repudiated