Evening star., 1947-09-22
Eisenhower Is Urged
To Choose His Party II
He Wants Nomination
General Hasn't Declared
His Politics Despite Boom
As Presidential Candidate
By David Laurence g

The presidential boom for Gen.
Dwight D. Eisenhower keeps grow
ing without any encouragement
from the general. There is no evi-
dence yet which party the World
War II commander afhliates with,
and 1t is conceivable that in 1948
the Democratic Party might seri-
ously consider him.
After all, the Republicans have
an abundance of candidates but
there is a dearth of material on
the Democratic side. There is even
considerable difficulty finding a vice
presidential candidate. 1t could be,
too, that President Truman will
surprise everybody by choosing not
to run. He has not yet said he would
run.
Gen. Eisenhower would be q
natural" for the Democrats. They
need a spectacular candidate. Mr..
Truman is at present strong enough
to get the nomination, but there is
no telling what the situation will be
next summer. The President Is the
kind of man who would not run if
he felt it would not be to the inter-
ests Of his party.
Gen. Eisenhower will be regarded
as good vote-getter because his
name is so we'll known and because
he is a popular personality. But
unless he picks party soon, he will
hardly qualify for either nomination.
Hoover Boom Is Recalled.
It will be recalled that Herbert
Hoover in 1920 was popular be-
cause Of his record as food admin
istrator in World War I. The
New York World, which was an in
dependent and liberal morning
newspaper with an influential edi-
torial page, urged Mr.. Hoover for
the presidency on either ticket.
Mr.. Hoover had seconded Presi-
dent Wilson's ill-fated appeal for a
Democratic Congress in November
1918. So many Republicans con-
sidered him a Democrat. Anyway
his reluctance to choose between
the parties resulted in only
handful of votes being cast for him
at the Republican national conven-
ton in 1920 when Harding was
nominated.
BY 1928, Mr.. Hoover's frieads
recognized the Importance of iden-
tifying him with the Republican
Party rather explicitly. When he
was chosen Secretary Of Commerce
in 1921 by President Harding, he
began to qualify as a Republican.
If Gen. Eisenhower is a Republic
can, he might as well disclose that
fact soon. For soldiers have had
q vote, too, in recent years even
when away from home. Doubt
less he voted for Mr.. Roosevelt
last time because the commander
in-chief argument was rather po-
tent in 1914.
The politicians all say that the
draft Of an outstanding military
man is related to whether the party
feels the other names to come be-
fore the convention are not strong
enough to win an election.
Gen. Macarthur Mentioned.
Ever since the Michigan and
Pennsylvania congressional cleo
tions, the Republican politicians
have felt that Senator Taft, Gov.
Dewey, or Senator Vandenberg
would win easily no matter which
one was chosen. This is because in
the two test elections the Republi-
cans ran ahead Of their 1946 per-
centage Of total vote.
There is some discussion Of Gen.
Douglas Macarthur as a possible
Republican candidate. He wrote in
1914 a rather indiscreet letter-or
perhaps, 1t should be said, a letter
not intended for publication-in
which some caustic things were said
against the New Deal It has been
assumed ever since that he was a
Republican.
If General Macarthur comes back
to this country next spring, he will
receive a tremendous ovation. He
has done such superb job of ad-
ministering Japan that his friends
think he might do equally well In
the United States.
If Gen. Eisenhower should be
drafted by the Democrats, the Re-
puhlicans might be tempted to
nominate Gen. Macarthur. Then
the country would be assured of q
military man in the White House,
no matter how the election turned
out. Maybe that is what the coun-
try wants-but the politicians of
both parties are not yet ready to
concede 1t.
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