Evening star., 1947-09-29
Eisenhower Edge
Over Truman in Poll
Held No True Gauge
Other Factors in '4S Race
Could Prevent Election or
Nomins Of Military Mon

AoutQ rIeVent 6IeStlon or
komins Of MiIitory Man
By Dsuid Laurence
The general public may be sur
prised, but politicians will not be by
the Gallup poll which shows a mill
tary hero more popular than civil
ian who happens to be President at
the time.
But this does not mean that,
after Q campaign in which all the
customary factors of politics are
thoroughly exposed to the likes and
dislikes Of the electorate, the mill
tary man would win.
The poll Just announced merely
asked voters whether they would
prefer Gen Eisenhower or President
Truman. It Is really q question re-
lated more closely to popularity than
to political fitness or capacity to hold
oeace.
The fallacy of popularity tests is
>est illustrated by the various Gallup
,olls which from time to time have
howp President Truman to be run
ling ahead Of his party strength or
below 1t. What this really means is
that when the interviewer asks the
question, do you think President
Truman is handling his job well?"
The answer can be made in the af-
firmative or negative regardless of
which party the person interviewed
happens to favor.
Party Standing Not Indicated.
Thus, many Republicans might say
Mr.. Truman was handling the job
well at the time and many Demo-
Gratis, dissatisfied with his bias in
favor Of the labor union bosses,
might be irritated and answer q poll
interviewer in the negative. But
both these groups will contain life
long" Republicans or Democrats, who
would vote the straight party ticket
and hold their noses, no matter what
the head of the party did.
This has been one of the charac-
teristics OF American politics for a
long time. The polls show 1t when
the definite question is asked with
out regard to the names of candi-
dates: Which party would you
vote for If the presidential election
were held today?"
Examination of polls taken In
the last two years shows that there
have been times when Mr.. Truman
in personal popularity has been be-
low the percentage attained by his
own party and there have been
times when he has been above it.
AS between President Truman
and Gen. Eisenhower-both we'll
publicized names-the popularity
comparison has no real political
meaning, though it can conceiyably
be significant of a trend. 1t could
turn the thoughts Of Republican
leaders to a temporary considera-
ton Of the availability of Gen.
Eisenhower and away from Messrs.
Taft, Dewey, Vandenberg and stas-
sen. But since nomination conven-
tions are run by practical politici-
ans, it cannot turn their minds
away very long from the men ex-
perienced in public lifa and gov
ernmental affairs.
Chances Must Be Weighed.
The practical side will assert it
self as the Republican leaders
weigh the chances of winning an
election with q military man. Al
ready there are murmurs against
the Truman Administration coming
from many elements which are sin
cere and patriotic and peace-loving
throughout our country. They are
worried about the domination of
our foreign policy by military minds
and military conceptions OF fear
and preparation against hypotheti-
cal contingencies
Diplomacy, with all its defects,
always has assumed the equality
OF sovereign states. and when 1t
loses faith in the integrity or trust
worthiness of the other government
or governments, it usually gives up
the task of negotiation and turns
the Job over to the military forces
to prepare q military defense and
resist attack. For in that stage of
affairs, anything can happen.
Gen. Eisenhower is not the ordi-
nary military man. He is broad
gauged and objective. But where
does he stand, for instance, on the
matter Of buying the labor union
influence by urging the repeal of
the Taft-Hartley law? Where does
he stand with respect to taxation
bureaucratic expenditures, and. q
host of other questions that the
Republicans in Congress want
tackled by their national leader?
Union labor does not like military
men in power. Will this cost the
Republicans any more votes than
they would lose anyhow?
All these questions will have to
be answered and something more
than is known now about Gen
Eisenhower's views will have to be
disclosed to the Republican voters
Of the country before they will be
ready to put aside the other candi-
dates two leading Republican
United States Senator'S. former
Governor OF Minnesota and the
Governor of the State of New York
who has twice gone before the peo-
pie and won a ma jority Of the votes
cast by the Republican and Demo-
cratic voters in the State which has
~ votes in the electoral college.
Reproduction Rishts Reserved.