Evening star., 1948-07-06
The Political Mil
Dewey to Be Mouthpiece
Of Purty From Now on

Of Party From Now on
Along With Warren He Must Set Pace
Of Coming National Campaign
By Gould Lincoln
The Republican Party has a new mouth
piece. For nearly two years the party's elected
representatives in Congress have done the
policy making and the speaking for the COP.
With the nomination of Gov. Dewey of New
York as the 1948 standardbearer. the situa-
ton is radically changed. 1t will be Gov.
Dewey's part to set the pace in the coming
national campaign. He has accepted the Re-
publican platform as written by the recent
national convention in Philadelphia He has
approved in the main the record made by the
Eightieth Congress. As the campaign progresses,
however, there will arise new situations, new
problems or variations of the old. 1t will be
the job Of Gov. Dewey to speak out then for
the Republican Party. His running mate, Gov.
Warren of California, will carry part of the
burden of being the partys new voice. Gov.
Warren, however, will work closely with Gov.
Dewey. The chances they will be found
speaking at cross purposes is so small as to be
nothing at all.
In measure 1t is both feasible and more
advisable to have a top spokesman for a poli-
tical party. When a group of leaders-each
regarding himself as the equal, If not more, of
the others-start sounding Off the result easily
may be lot of discords. Just such discords
arose to plague the Republicans-shortly be-
fore the close of the last session of Congress.
Chairman Vandenberg of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee and the Republican House
leadership - including Representative John
To- oher nf hair NJ he
preparations Committee-clashed over the sum
to be granted to carry out the European Re-
covery Program. They clashed violently. In
the end Senator Vandenberg had his way.
"Isolationist' Out Window.
II this year there was no national but only
a congressional election, the supporters Of the
Vandenberg view would be out campaigning
for generous support of the ERP while those
who favored the Taber attitude of cutting
down these appropriations, would take the
other tack. Mr.. Dewey, the presidential NOM
inee, however, will speak for the whole Repub-
lican Party. He has given every reason to be-
lieve he Is going right along with Senator
Vandenberg and the ERP; that he will back
to the limit the United Nations and that "iso-
lationism"-so far as the Republican Party Is
concerned-is out of the window.
Months ago in the preconvention campaign
for the Republican presidential nomination
opponents of Gov. Dewey attacked him be-
cause, they said, he would not speak out on
the issues of the day. This was a favorite
chant of former Gov. Stassen of Minnesota.
Others took it up Mr.. Dewey, however, de-
layed his active campaigning until compar-
atively short time before the national conven-
ton. When he took to the stump-as he did
in Oregon-he said plenty. In the coming
campaign he will say plenty more, both on
foreign and domestic questions Indeed, he has
already spoken out vigorously in a number OF
press conferences and brief statements.
The party platform adopted in Philadelphia
as well as the nominations Of Dewey and
Warren-has shown conclusivey that the Re-
publicans have turned away from "normalcy'-
the kind of thing for which they stood when
Harding was campaigning against Cox in 1920,
and for which they stood after Harding had,
entered the White House
Progressive Platform. ,..- -.
1t Is a far more progressive platform, &C
companied by far more progressive candidates.
It Is true that there has been q declaration
that encroachments OF the Federal Govern
ment must halt and that GENERALIZATION IN
Washington Is bad business. There Is, how
ever, no implied promise to turn the Govern
ment and the country over to the tender mer-
cies of concentrated wealth and huge business
monopolies On the contrary, both Messrs
Dewey and Warren-neither of whom Is soft
person-will do their utmost to prevent any
such happening
Messrs Dewey and Warren are both COM
mitted to adequate national defense. Both
lined up, for example, for system OF Uni
versal Military Training during the precon-
vention campaign-which. for example,
Senator Taft of Ohio, denounced as unneces-
sary. Gov. Dewey will speak now for the Re-
publican Party on the question of defense. This
does not mean that Senator Taft will shift his
view on the subject Of military training. neces-
sarily. 1t does mean. however, that when and
If a Republican legislative program Is put Tor
ward from the White House, 1t will carry the
full weight of presidential approval to party
which will, 1t is assumed, be in control OF
Congress
In retrospect 1t Is amazing that Republicans
in Congress were able to avoid as many dis
cords as they did. That they did Is tribute
to the leadership of Taft and Vandenberg In
the Senate and of Martin and Halleck In the
House.
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