Milford chronicle., 1948-01-02
Marshall
No. / Person
During 1947
By SHERRY BOWEN
AP Newsfeatures Writer


Associated Press newspapers.
The wartime Army chief of staff
few home in January from China,
where he had been ambassador, to
ind the Senate unanimously had
approved his appointment as head
of the State Department. From then
on throughout the year he remained
almost constantly in the headlines,
causing most editors to place him
ahead Of President Harry S. Tru-
man in the man-of-the-year cate
CORY.
Headlines Start Early
In the foreign affairs department
Marshall had no competition. Only
a scattering few of the editors
named anyone else.
Marshall was sworn in Jan. 81
and moved quietly to reOrganize
the department and transfer it's
principal Offices into another build
ing. He was off 10 Moscow and the
crucial Foreign Minister'S Confer
ence March 5. The Hungarian crisis
and the easing Of strained U. S. re-
latiOns with Argentina came in May
and June after his return.
In talk at Harvard University
June he gave the first outlines of
his aid-tO-EurOpe program which
came to be known as the Marshall
plan. August Is, he started for the
Rio conference at which the inter
defense program was ap-
proved. The United Nations Assem-
bly, meeting started Sept. Is and ap-
proved MarshalTs Little Assem-
bly," plan.
Nov. II, he started for London
and the second round of the For
eign Minister'S Conference.
Taft Leads Politicians
Sen. Robert A. Taft was the over
whelming choice of AP editors as
the outstanding political figure of
1947. When Congress convened in
January he was, and remained, one
OF the leaders of the new Republi-
can majority in the Senate.
His influence was vital in the
handling Of all important legisla-
ton. But it was as chairman of the
Senate Labor Committee that he
sponsored and forced through the
Taft-Hartley Law over the Opposi-
ton of all leading labor leaders
OF the nation and the veto of Presi-
dent Truman.
Demonstrations FREQUENT
This law had personal repercus-
sions for Taft when labor pickets
appeared outside almost all the
meetings at which he spoke on a
political tour in the summer and
iall. He was good natured about the
demonstrations, calling one of them
our usual reception.
His formal announcement Oct. %
Of his candidacy for the Republican
nomination for President came as
no surprise.
Victory in Union
Walter P. Reuther was selected
as the outstanding man in labor.
More than twice as many editors
chose him as voted for John L.
Lewis. Reuther's spectacular vic
tory in the November convention of
the giant United Auto Workers
Union when his slate of officers
was elected was the event when
caught editors eyes. Reuther had
announced that his program was
designed to eliminate Communistic
elements from the union.
Reuther announced, however, that
his union victory would mean no
weakening of policy in its efforts to
improve working conditions in the
automobile industry.
Kaiser Selected
Henry J. Kaiser, auto manufac-
turer, ship builder, steel master,
whose big enterprises continued to
make news in 1947, nosed out Hen
ry Ford III as the industrial leader
of the year in the opinion of the edi-
tors. In addition to Kaiser and Ford,
many of the editors voted for other
industrial leaders, notably Howard
Hughes and Robert Young.
The uncertainty of the editors in
the industrial field reflected the eff
forts of the nations production lea
GERS to reach full stride with post
war shortages and other difficulties
a continuing handicap.
Scattered Vote
In the entertainment field, the
vote was even more widely scat
tered. Bing Crosby was first in the
balloting, but the groaner was hard
pressed in the voting by Ingrid
Bergman and Bob Hope. Almost a
score of other entertainment cele-
britles were among those consider
ed outstanding by some of the edi-
tors.
Selecting Crosby, .the editors
showed a sense of balance in a ia
nous radio "feud." They picked
Hope last year. Hope and Crosby,
best Of friends in private life, for
years have been sniping at each
other over the air waves.
Author Hailed
In literature, Andre eide, French.
NODeA prize winner, was the choice.
lie IS known in this country prin-
clpally as novelist, although his
reputation as poet and philoso-
pher is equally strong in his native
country. Although he once advoca-
ted Communism and was hailed as
hero in Russia, he has since de-
nounced it and declared his hatred
OF all dictatorship, regardless Of
the source.
eide, known as a stylist, has had
profound influence on current lit
erature, Many leading authors have
acknowledged an Indebtedness to
him in the development Of their
work.