Evening star., 1947-02-05

time he certainly did stress his own
liberalism" and talk lot about
the necessity of "liberalizing" the
Republican party, taking 1t out OF
the hands of the "reactionaries, /"
etc. there has never been anything
In his public record to justify re-
garding him as in the least degree
radical.
The truth is that the positions he
has most recently taken and the
statements he has most recently
made seem to put him much more
In political harmony with conserva-
tives like Senator Byrd and Sena-
tor Taft than with the left-wingers
such as Senator Wayne Morse and
George Aiken of his own party, or
with Henry Wallace, Senator Pepper
and Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt among
the Democrats. For example, con-
slider Mr.. Stassen's recent state
ments on the vital issues of budget,
taxes and labor.
Insists on Budget Cut.
He insists that the Truman budget
of 81 billions can be cut approxi-
mately five billions; that there is so
much padding of expenses In the
departments that this can be done
without crppling the national de-
Tense or any essential Government
function. He wants the wartime
excise taxes re-enacted, as urged
by MIR. Truman, so as to provide a
billion more revenue, and believes
it essential not only to reduce taxes
but to reduce the national debt,
which he conceives to be Of men,
acing size.
Now, if there is anything in this
position different from the positions
of Senator Byrd, whom the true
liberals" call a "reactionary," or of
Senator Taft, whom they denounce
as an "Old Guardsman." 1t Is not
visible to the naked eye.
On the other hand, it lays down
a doctrine abhorrent to every true
liberal" whether he-or she-is a
member of the Wallace-Sponsored
Progressive Citizens of America or
the anti-Communist group spon-
sored by Mrs. Roosevelt; or of the
left-Wingers of his own party. 1t
brands Mr.. Stassen not as spend
er but as a saver, Identifies him
with such fashioned ideas as
that thrift in government is worth
while; that living permanently be-
yond its means is as unsound for
a nation as for an individual; that
waste is undesirable. In addition,
1t clashes with that noble New Deal
economic tenet that the size of the
national debt Is utterly unimportant
because I'VE owe it to ourselves"
Other Signs of Tenets.
Now, when to this is added the
fact that Mr.. StaSsen has expl essed
the view that a series of new wage
demands, through strikes, as
planned by the CLIO, would be bad
for the country, for industry and for
labor; that he has criticized the
Nathan report, on which the CIO
is basing its demands, and is known
to favor labor legislation at this
session, not of punitive" or "dras-
tic" or "un-American" nature, but,
nevertheless, not very different from
that favored by Senator Taft
when these things are added to his
already declared budget and debt
positions, it is clear that it is a
Misrepresentation to call Mr.. Stas-
sen 'left-winger" and that mod
crate conservative" Is far more
appropriate description.
In addition, his aforesaid well-in-
formed and intimate friends assert
that so far from it being Mr.. Stas-
sens purpose in establishing head
quarters in Washington to nag at
the Republican majority in Con-
gress and goad it toward the left,
his purpose is to cooperate. Instead
of finding himself hostile to the
Republican leadership, he finds
himself not far from being in har-
mony with it. This, they say, is not
because he has shifted his position
but because he is essentially a
sound and honest man.
Chance i'm Deadlock.
There is some rejoicing in Stas-
sen circles over the new disposition
to class him as moderate con-
servative" instead of a true lib
eral." The opinion is held that this
will enhance his chances in the 1948
Republican convention, which in the