Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-19
Mr.. Truman Intends to Fiqht

1t is clear from his plans for Labor Day
when he will speak at six different cities
in Mchigan-that President Truman pro-
poses to wage an About fight to keep
himself in the White House. Indeed, the
indications are that his campaign-in
terms of personal energy expended on
travel and oratory-is likely to set new
record in American politics. He is out to
win; he considers his cause anything but
hopeless; according to every account, he
is confident of victory and determined not
to spare himself In battling for It,.
Considering the formidable makeup Of
the Republican ticket and the strains,
stresses and OBJECTIONS within his some
what unhappy party, the Presidents hope
full and aggressive frame of mind Is an
altogether admirable political trait. A
Democratic candidate of lesser spirit and
falkland spirit and faith are essential
| qualities in any good campaigner-would
be inclined to succumb to inertia and
defeatism as result Of the almost uni
versal agreement among the experts that
little short of miracle will be- required
to defeat Governor Dewey in November.
But Mr.. Truman is not made that way.
Even his least friendly opponents respect
him as a fighter endowed with kind of
wholesome gumption or stubborn afflrma-
tiveness that should serve him we'll in the
rough and-tumble between now and cleo
ton day.
The Republicans, of course, are not
going to be gentle. A foretaste of what is
to be expected of them can be had from
the lengthy and fire-breathing campaign
document just issued by Representative
Halleck, floor leader of the COP forces in
the House. Mr.. Halleck has poured it
on" In laundering terms, he has ascribed
to the Democrats everything bad-nke
high prices, Communist infiltration and
Soviet expansionism has been trou-
bling the Nation and the world for years
past. On the other hand, all that is good
and beautiful-like full employment, the
highest national income in history, lower
taxes and wise moves in foreign policy
he has ascribed to his own party. As he
sees it, the latter, like a plumed knight
on white horse, has rescued the American
people from something roughly akin to
fate worse than death, and he has plainly
indicated that the President will rue the
day he started attacking Congress and
made his belittling remark about red
behring's
None of this, however, will come as a
surprise to anybody, least of all Mr..
Truman. What we are moving into is
not a tea party but presidential cam
paign, and the Republicans, after sixteen
lean and hungry years as political "outs,"
are loaded for bear. 1t is to be expected
therefore that they will raise a great
rumpus. Governor Dewey and Governor
Warren probably will display the dignified
though forceful restraint that Is best
suited to the top candidates. But their
| fellows on the less-exalted levels-making
the most OF such issues as Communist in
| filtration and red herrings-will almost
certainly give vent to fierce tumult and
shouting before the votes are finally in
The Democrats, still divided among them
selves, quite obviously are going to have
hard job on their hands, with the odds
heavily against them.
But the President-who will be helped
by the seasoned and popular Senator
Barley, his running mate-has made clear
that he Is by no means discouraged. Ap-
parently he aims to stay on the offensive
in countrywide campaign that will take
him not only to the big cities but to a
great number of what Senator Taft has
called whistle stops" This may prove to
be more effective than most experts sup
pose. The American people like a fighter
and tend to sympathize with the under
dog, both of which Mr.. Truman is In
the circumstances, If the Republicans
make the mistake of pouring it on" too
much and If the Democrats enjoy a few
breaks, the results in November may turn
out considerably less one-sided than the
soothsayers now predict.