Evening star., 1946-11-11

What are these realities2 They
are so plain as hardly to be open
to dispute. There is the fact that
the party, of which Mr.. Truman
is the titular head, has sustained
q crushing defeat. The domestic
policies for which 1t stood have
been repudiated by the people and
it is torn by bitter factionalism,
with another even more disastrous
defeat apparently looming ahead.
For it is an unbroken precedent
In American politics that when the
party in power loses control OF Con-
eress in midterm it unfailingly
loses the presidency in the follow
ing election. Where do these reali-
ties leave Mr.. Truman? If he looks
at them fairly, he knows very well.
He Cannot be Reelected.
Unless he deliberately deludes
himself, he must know that, though
he may be nominated. he cannot
be elected President in 1948. He
must know that it would be politi-
cal miracle If any Democrat won in
that year-and political miracles
do not occur. His party seems on
Its way to an inevitable debacle and
there is Just no sense pretending
otherwise. Perhaps that is brutal,
but truth often is brutal. and that
is the truth. If Mr.. Truman is at
all clearheaded he knows all this
very well indeed.
But" he may say to himself,
though the party is doomed and
the Republicans now have control
of Congress, I did not have control
anyhow; and though there is no
chance of my being elected in
194S-stil Tam going to be Presi-
dent for two years and two months
more. What about that?"
Right there is the Truman oppor-
tunity. Right there, as they say in
certain games of chance, he has
"a beautiful play if he sees it." For,
If he has the will, he can give the
country its first President almost
since the days of Washington, who
in the last two years of his service
was completely devoid Of all po-
litical ambition and, thus, free from
all personal or party necessity to
consider any issue or incident ex-
cept upon its merits.
What is the sense of his doing
anything else? Here he is beaten
man without political hope for the
future. Here is his party smashed
and divided organization which,
obviously, will find itself unable to
unite In 1948. And here he is with
26 more months in the White House.
Courageous Course Is Open.
A personally courageous man, how
will the clearheaded Mr.. Truman
react to this knowledge? Why will
he not say to himself this:
II did not make this mess, I in
herited it. The defeat of the party
was overdue. 1t would have occurred
long ago but for the war. Probably
we deserve defeat. In the Senate
I followed the leader, but I was
never a New Dealer at heart. When
death put me in the presidency there
was nothing for me to do save
eulogize my predecessor and declare
my devotion to his policies. The re-
cent election repudiated these
policies, repudiated, hip, repudiated
me, repudiated the party, repudiated
the direction in which we had been
going. And here I am with 26 more
months in the White House"
Considering that situation, Is
there any sensible thing for Mr..
Truman to do except take those
26 months and be honest with the
American people as no President
in the memory of living men has
been able to do?
He can be-if he has the will-the
only President utterly to disregard
parties, politics, organized minorities
and pressure groups. With nothing
to lose, he has lot to gain. 1t
would, to be sure, involve co-opera-
ton with the Republicans, but that
Is inevitable anyhow. And, if once
he drives home the idea that for 26
months he is going to be wholly in
dependent, permitting no action, ap-
pointment, speech, message or deed
to be even remotely influenced by
politics or politicians, that his only
interest is the public interest and
that he has no hidden motive or
concealed purpose-once that is
driven home he will gain a stature
fer greater than he has now, had
before or could have gained had the