Evening star., 1948-10-11
Dewey Withho|ds Fire
On vinson Incident:
Statement Cautious
ey the Assoeiossd Press

Dewey transformed across Penn
sylvania today, holding in re-
serve a possible public blast at
President Truman's handling of
the Vinson incident.
The Republican presidential NOM
inee let Senator Vandenberg, Re-
publican. of Michigan put into
words what Gov. Dewey himself ap-
parently would like to have said
openly but decided not to do be-
cause of its world effect.
Senator Vandenberg declared in a
New York speech last night that
Mr.. Truman's abandoned plan to
send Chief Justice Vinson to Mos
COW for personal negotiations with
Prime Minister Stain involved a
morrow escape" from singlehanded
action that could have crippled
United Nations handling of the
Berlin crisis.
COP Views Incident as Blunder.
The attitude among the Republi-
cans-evidently shared by Gov
Dewey-was that Mr.. Truman had
made a desperate blunder that
might have had tragic effects around
the world.
1t further was said to be Gov
Dewey's view that he-as the pos
sible next President-must try to
salvage American prestige.
What that involved, in the Berlin
blocade question, was put into these
words by Senator Vandenberg:
Now that we have gone to the
United Nations, we must intelli-
gently avoid any unilateral, indie
pendent action on our own account
lest we confuse our friendly associ-
ates, cramp the Security Council
and encourage our opponents to
think our appeal to the United Ma
tions is either timid or Insincere.
May Discuss Matter Later.
Senator Vandenberg added:
II must say that we have just had
q narrow escape on this score, at
Washington.
Willie tlldG SCCfIiCd W NC sAiS AtS
publican answer for the time being
Gov. Dewey was known to have in
mind the possibility of criticizing
the Vinson incident If he feels world
developments warrant such action
later. ...
Pointing toward a major labor
speech in Pittsburgh to be broadcast
over the Columbia Broadcastins
System at $50 O'Clock tonight, the
Republican presidential nominee Of
fered a new pledge of Republican
support for American efforts to get
the Berlin blockade lifted.
Gov. Dewey told hastily-called
news conference in Albany last
night the American people whole
heartedly and vigorously support the
labors of our bipartisan delegation
at Paris and specifically its insls-
tence on a prompt lifting OF the
blockade of Berlin
Statement Carefully Phrased.
In a carefully -phrased statement
Gov. Dewey added:
The nations of the world can rest
assured that the American people
are IN fact united in their foreign
policy and firmly and unshakably
uphold the United Nations and our
friends OF the free world in every
step to build and preserve the
peace
This statement admittedly was
drafted in final form only after a
vigourous argument in the Dewey
~camp over proposals that the Re-
publican nominee lash out now at
President Truman.
The understanding was that Gov.
Dewey and his men finally decided
that any such attack could only be
interpreted abroad as indicating the
bipartisan foreign policy had fallen
apart.
How seriously the Republicans re-
earded Mr.. Truman's proposed new
venture into personal diplomacy was
shown by reports here that John
Foster Dulles. Gov. Dewey's foreign
affairs adviser, might withdraw from
the American U. N. delegation at
Paris.
Dewey Quiets RumOr.
The New York Governor flattened
these by saying, in response to a
question, that certainly" Mr.. Dulles
would stay.
Gov. Dewey's decision to hold his
fire for while was made after
consultation with Mr.. Dulles and
Senator Vandenberg.
Friends were saying Gov. Dewey
had matched his 1914 decision not
to bare the knowledge in that
campaign that the Japanese code
had been broken before Pearl Har-
Dor.
Some Dewey supporters appar-
emily felt that Mr. Truman had
become involved in a stumbling
performance which might give him
a political black eye.
Gov. Dewey was said to believe
that the inspiration for the Vinson
proposal came from the White
House, without any prior consulta-
ton with the State Department OF
Defense Department.
He was reported to have learned
of it last week, before it reached
the newspapers, and to have put Mr.
Dulles on guard in Paris. 1t was
evident that the Republicans weren't t
consulted about it beforehand by
the White House.
Plans Aid in Senate Races.
On this, his second cross-country
trip of the campaign. Gov. Dewey
chief objective seemed to, be to give
what help he could toward keeping
Senator Vandenberg and other Re-
publicans in control of the Senate,
The Republican presidential nomi-
nee's scheduled stops today at Erie
Sharon, New Castle and Rochester
Pa, before his late afternoon arrival
In Pittsburgh. Gave him a chance
to bid for the States IS electoral
votes.
He lost them in 1914 to the late
President Roosevelt. But Republi-
cans are saying that this year things
will be different.
Gov. Dewey also will have in MIND
Kentucky's II electoral votes wher
he goes into that State tomorrow.