Browning chief., 1946-01-04
Washington l{{:2as
Guess Early on 1948
Presidential Candidates
Truman Seen as Standard Bearer Of the
Democratic Party; Dewey Faces Fight
In New York to Stay in COP Race.
By BAUKHAGE
Nesps analyst and Commentator.

I'd Commentator.
cate them. That was a major step
ping stone toward amity. It was la
beled the Presidents Labor-Man-
agement Conference. Both sides,
and the rest Of the nation, know It
was Vandenburg's.
Former Governor Stassen stands
In a position to become the first
veteran of World War II to become
President, just as the incumbent,
President Truman, is the first vet
eran of World War I to achieve that
high estate. Stassen has youth plus
experience as the chief administra-
politically and geographically. Like
Vandenburg, he also was a delegate
to San Francisco, but in any frank
appraisal of their roles in interna-
tional politics, he must give ground
to the Michigan senator. However,
Stassen has captured popular imag-
ination by his forward-looking atti-
tude toward the tantamount subject
of the day, the atomic bomb. He
has a faculty for capitalizing on
issues.
Governor Bricker faces the draw
back that "he's been to the well"
before. He failed to win the Re-
publican presidential nomination in
1914 and had to be content with Sec
ond place. But who could win
against the wave OF Dewey senti-
yoopf than mo ocb;po o1,ar tho n potiop1
That he has made splendid state
administrator even Democrats ad-
nit. What he lacks is recogni-
tion outside his own state; he has
suffered from the accusation that
he is provincial. His declarations
on foreign affairs as a vice presi-
dental candidate year ago
weren't marked for their profundity,
weren't convincing. Unless all pres
try for the United States senate.
That would give him the national
sounding board he needs.
Bricker is handsome ian attribute
which cannot be overlooked in these
days Of women's vote), he's an
able speaker and a war veteran.
The latter will be a factor to be
carefully weighed when the 1948
ticket is made up. And this time
he'll have the wholehearted support
of Senator Robert A. Taft of his home
state, something he lacked in a
practical sense before. Taft was a.
candidate himself. This time he
says he will not be.
Democrats Vie for
Vice Presidency
On the Democratic side, the goal
hopefuls will be shooting for is the
vice presidential nomination. The
field is rather open, but not to the
more obvious personages. There is,
of course, no vice president today.
Senator Kenneth McKellar func-
tions on the job as president pro
tenn Of the senate. Actually, in
spite of public thought to the con-
trary, that doesn't make him the
second highest officer of the federal
government. Protocol places the
speaker Of the house next to the
President. As q matter of record,
President Truman has asked con-
'gress to enact legislation creating
statutory succession to the presi-
dency with the speaker preferred
over the president pro tenn of the
senate should vacancies occur in
both the presidency and the vice
presidency. Translated into sports
talk, McKellar is "in on pass"
In any event, McKellar will be
approaching 80 years of age when
the next convention rolls around
and would be out of the running on
that score il for no other reason.
A dark horse in the long-range
predictions is Senator Brian Nc
Mahon of Connecticut. A first-term
member, he trimmed the popular
and able Senator John Danaher,
Republican, to win his office. He
has many Of the attributes which
won votes for Thomas Dewey a
year ago-he's young, just turned
AZ; he has proved himself an able
prosecutor while serving as chief
OF the criminal division in the de-
partment Of justice when he cleaned
up such messes as the Harlan mine
outlawry; he's White House init
mate, vigorous speaker, self-made
man with substantial accumula-
tion of worldly goods gained in the
practice of law. and he's chairman
OF the senate's committee to develop
national policy on atomic energy.
In gaining the latter distinction,
he overthrew the senate seniority
rule and by-passed older members