Evening star., 1948-09-18
Change of Administration
Is Increasingly Indicated
Democrats Are Seen Hard Pressed
to Explain Policies and Actions
The Political Min
By Gould Lincoln

ny oO"a LJUCOW
As the campaign for President. the House
and one third OF the Senate gets under way.
with President Truman and Gov Dewey Of
New York both ready to dash about the coun-
try, . distinct impression is gaining ground
that the country, irritated by the failure OF
the present administration to deal effectively
with both foreign and domestic issues, is going
to gamble for q change.
It Is agitated because of the failure Of the
Democratic Administration to bring about
peace settlements 1t is riled because prices
are 50 high and have become high during
Democratic control of the Government.
Democratic statements-concurred in by
Republicans, too-that the failure of peace IS
due to the Russian Communists and the un-
cooperative attitude of Soviet Russia do
not satisfy the country entirely. 1t is inclined
to charge the Truman administration also
that of President Roosevelt-with ineficiency
and ineptness in dealing with Russia. This
is q charge which the Truman campaigners,
including the President, will have difficult
time overcoming
Policy Is Criticized.
Republican leaders, although they will insist
they are going right along with a strong
bipartisan policy toward Russia, already are
beginning to charge that this policy was much
too late in developing, and that both the late
President and Mr.. Truman were outmaneu-
vered by the Reds This is coupled with the
present investigation of Communist infiltra-
ton in both the Government and in private
activities in the United States.
Obviously had there been greater success
real success bringing peace settlements into
being-the expenditures by this Government
oyaI fnr ohohi jtaf
would now be less, and the harassed American
taxpayer might be getting more relief from
his present heavy burden. Obviously, too.
materials needed for building, like steel, and
for the making of automobiles and hundreds
of other consumer articles, would have been
more plentiful for domestic production. This
In turn would have increased supply to meet
demand. with q consequent effect on the price
scales.
President Truman is seeking to place the
blame for high prices on the Republican Con-
eress, which came in Office IN l947. But Or
dinary people are inclined to ask why Mr.. Tru"
man, apparently because of the panicky state
ments made to him by Democrats seeking
reelection to Congress, in the fall OF ls46 ana
before the election, abandoned meat and other
controls and on November of that year
knocked all the rest of the controls down.
Truman Had Choice.
He did not have to take such action, the Re-
publicans point out for the law they hao
passed although it did not meet his Speclflca-
tions still gave him authority to maintain price
controls gradually relinquishing them. the
President will be asked to explain why. in an
other wears time he called upon the Repuo-
lican Congress to re-establsh these controls
particularly when he had referred to them as
"police state methods" when used in time OF
peace.
1t is not going to be easy for the Demo-
cratic campaign orators to convince the people
generally that none of the blame for tne
present high cost of living rests on their shoui-
ders. Former Gov. Stassen of Minnesota, VINO
answered President Trumans Labor Day ao-
dress. charged that the administration had
been irving to sustain food prices by strategic
timing of large-scale Government purchases
for the foreign aid program and by state
ments calculated to prevent price Declines al
though reports Of bumper crops had been mace.
This brought an indignant reply from sec
retary of Agriculture Brannan, who declared
the Republicans were really attacking the Gov
ernments price support program designed 10
protect the farmer However, the seed has neen
planted, and people are wondering whether
the administration Is really trying to hold up
high prices of food stuffs. and people know
that millions are being spent by the Govern
ment for food stufis-both for export and 10
farm prices