Evening star., 1948-04-18
Old Style Campaign Pays Off
Has. Become Lone Wolf
of Preconvention
Campaigning

when it meets in June-plus q group
of equally hardheaded and ambitious
leaders. Both Gov. Dewey and
Senator Taft, in the event neither
is able to land the nomination, may
undertake to make it difncult for
Mr. Stassen.
Eight years ago. Tom Dewey Of
New York was the youthful cham
pion who won the primaries that
Mr.. Stassen has taken. Gov. Dewey
was then something new and engag-
ing-the racket buster and nemesis
of Tammany and crooked politicians.
When the convention opened, how
ever, and the Willkie drive was in
full force, the delegates Mr.. Dewey
won in the primaries melted away.
There is no new figure like Willkie
to challenge Mr.. Stassen in Phil
adelphia this year.
Mr.. Stassen, in 1910, threw in his
lot with Mr. Willkie. He stepped
down from the Office of temporary
chairman Of the Republican Ma
tional Convention to become Mr..
WILKES floor leader in that fracas.
Also, Mr.. Stassen inherited some
of the following of Mr.. Willkie-
men who are internationally mind
ed and men Of wealth. None of this
is doing Mr.. Stassen any harm in
the Eastern section of the country
or on the Pacific Coast. Hailing
as he does from a State which
had been considered traditionally
isolationist, Mr.. Stassen stepped out
and out-Willkied Willkie in his
proposals for international Coop
eration-and never lost his grip on
the affections of Minnesota.
Roosevelt Picked Him
In recognition Of this devotion to
the cause OF international Coop
Grafton, the late President Frank
lin D. Roosevelt picked Mr.. Stassen
as one of the American delegates
to the San Francisco United Nations
Conference. For two months Of
this conference, Mr.. Stassen, who
had taken leave of absence from
the Navy, performed brilliantly.
OF all the American delegates, he
best was able to deal with the
foreigners. They found him di-
rect, frank and lucid.
Last November Mr.. Stassen pub
lished book-"Where I Stand" A
study of that book will give any one
an insight into the hopes and be-
liefs of Harold E. Stassen. 1t is a
human document, containing in
addition, sound arguments for the
position he takes on the inter-
national situation, and on such do
mestic problems as labor manage
ment relations, taxation and financ-
ing of the Government, social
legislation, high prices and rents
and housing.
Not Too Progressive
To those who fear Mr. Stassen as
'too progressive" it may be pointed
out that he wrote in that book, "the
Federal Government in times of
peace should not take more than
so per cent of the income OF any
American" 1t takes up to 80 per
cent now. Also, while he suggests
amendments, he stands for the
Taft-Hartley labor law. To meet
the housing situation-lack of hous-
ing-he proposes a Federal appro-
priation Of 100000, 900 year for
mass house building, slum clearance
and redevelopment and moderniza-
ton Of cities.
If Mr.. Stassen succeeds in win
ming to himself voters OF the East
and Republican leaders and bus
inessmen-it will take a major
operation to stop him In his drive
for the nomination.
He still has to show his strength
in the East and in some of the pop
ulous States of the Midwest like
Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. In
the event of Stassen victory in the
convention, what more attractive
ticket could the Republicans put
forward than Stassen for President
and Senator Lodge OF Massachu-
setts for Vice President, one a Navy
veteran, and the other an Army vet
eran of the last war?
zone OF a series OF sketches OF