Evening star., 1948-09-17
FarmPoIicyStatement
Expected After Dewey
Sees Leaders Today |
By }. A. o'Leory
Stor Sfoff Corraspondent

ALBANY, N. Y, Sept. ia
new statement of Republican
farm policy may be issued here
/ today after Gov. Dewey, the
! party's presidential nominee,
meets with two top-ranking
congressional spokesmen for the
farmers.
They are Chairman Hope of the
House Agriculture Committee and
Senator Aiken of Vermont, acting
head of the corresponding Senate
committee.
Meanwhile, some political observ-
ers here reached the conclusion that
the decision of Dean Alfange, New
York State right-wing liberal. to
support Gov. Dewey may have more
effect elsewhere than in the Empire
State.
They reason that Gov. Dewey al
ready was the favorite to carry New
York without the indeterminate
number of liberals who may follow
Mr.. Alfange. The New York Lib
sral Party, of which Mr.. Alfange is
a member, already has Endorsed the
. Truman-Barkley ticket. It's present
leaders are Adolph Berle, former
State Department official, and David
Dubinsky, president of the Inter-
national Ladies' Garment Workers
Onion.
Mr.. Alfanse, an author and
lawyer born in Greece, ran against
Gov. Dewey as the American-Labor
Party's gubernatorial candidate in
1912.
Some Republican advisers advance
the suggestion-perhaps it is a hope
that the Alfange decision may in
huence scattered liberals in other
cities, who, like Mr.. Alfange, are
against the extreme views of the
Wallace third party and believe at
the same time that If the Truman
administration won it would not
be able to unite Northern and
Southern Democrats behind pro-
gressive legislation.
Even though it may not be trans
lated into any substantial number
of votes, the Alfange statement
could have some intangible value
as an indication that the Dewey
Warren ticket has an appeal ex-
tending beyond the conservative
forces usually identified with the
Republican Party.
Another development yesterday
which is giving COP strategists
more concern was the statement of
Senator Martin, Republican, of
Pennsylvania, that he is worried"
over the fight to retain Republican
control of the Senate.
Senator Martin, who played key
role in getting the nomination for
Gov. Dewey at Philadelphia in
June, came here to go over the hot
senatorial battles with the nominee.
Later he told reporters the prospects
are good for election of the Repub-
1ican presidential ticket, but added:
II am worried over the next Sen
ate-that is where the fight is"
He said lit would be most unfor-
tunate for the United States and
the world" if, with the election OF
a Republican administration, the
Senate went to the Democrats. 1t
would give that branch of Congress
a veto power over new admins
tration's program, he pointed out.
Frankly, I think that at the
present time it is very Close" the
Senator continued, referring to the
Senate lineup. Il think we'll keep
control, but it's going to require
every possible effort
Republican fears about the Senate
grow out of the fact that a net
turnover of four seats would put
the Democrats back in control, and
the geographical location of the
one-third of the Senate seats at
stake this year favors the Demo-
Gratis.
Long before Senator Martins ar
rival, however, Gov. Dewey and his
aides were aware of this situation.
The strenuous Western campaign
swing on which Gov. Dewey will en-
bark Sunday afternoon has been
mapped out to give the maximum
support to Republican senatorial
candidates beyond the Mississippi
River. Later on, Gov. Dewey un-
doubtedly will do all he can to help
Republicans east of the Mississippi.
Senator Martin said he and Gov.
Dewey discussed particularly the
Senate fights in West Virginia, Ken
lucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Mime
sofa, Wyoming and Iowa.
Senator Martin said he told the
Republican standard bearer that
Senator Revercomb has very
hard fight on his hands" in West
Virginia. There has been much
speculation over whether Gov.
Dewey would speak in West Vlr-
ginia because he and Senator Rev.
ercomb did not see eye to eye on
the urgency of liberalizing the dis
placed persons law before Congress
adjourned.
Last week Walter S. Hallanan,
West Virginia's national committee
man, appealed to Gov. Dewey to
visit the State. While no announce
ment has come from Dewey head
quarters, sideline observers here
doubt that he would 60 to Kentucky
or Tennessee without stopping in
West Virginia. If he goes to West