Evening star., 1948-04-17
Presidential Boom
OF Douglas Is Seen
Doomed 10 Failure
Justice Held Unlikely
To Run When Prospects
Are Worse Than Trumon's S
Bv Frank r. Kent

make his sponsors and promoters
ridiculous without getting this not
overly modest person off the high
bench upon which some citizens
think he should never have been
placed.
OF course, the movement to nomi-
nate MIR. Douglas comes from the
little clique of far to the left Roose-
welt liberals" Of which he was one
before he was appointed and with
whom he has kept IN close touch
since. This is the faction which Is
so desperately trying to ditch Mr..
Truman and the reasons it is build
ing up Mr.. Douglas while still
shouting for Gen. Eisenhower are
entirely clear.
In the first place, the obvious
fact has pretty well sunk in that un-
less they find someone other than
Gen. Eisenhower around whom to
rally they are likely to find them
selves in a most uncomfortable fix,
indeed. For, most reasonably in
formed men are now convinced tnat
under no circumstances will the
general lend himself to any such
transparent hocus pocus as Is IN
volved in this project to draft" him
In a Democratic Convention.
Outspoken Statement Seen.
Moreover, if they go much farther
along present lines he is going to
tell them SO in no uncertain terms.
At least that is the conviction OF
intimates who best know the way
Gen. Eisenhower feels on this sub
1ect. In particular, they report that
though he does not want to make
another statement, more talk such
as recently emanated from the ebul-
lient Mr.. Chester Bowles is likely to
bring an outburst from him which
they will not like at all.
A few days ago this Mr.. Bowles,
whose virtues were much overadver-
tised when he was here as price ad-
ministrator, somewhat pompously
declared that if 1t developed that
Gen. Eisenhower views on eco
nomic, social and political matters
are satisfactorily liberal and pro-
gressive," then he should be drafted
The patronizing language in which
this great thought was clothed GER
tainly irritated Gen. Eisenhower S
friends and there is reason to be-
lieve did not go down well with the
general himself.
At any rate, even some Of the
,eio 1iCfiH
porters of the Down the Drain
with Truman effort, are weakening
on the Eisenhower idea-first, be-
cause they know he can't be had;
second, because they know he isn't
their kind of liberal anyhow.
Once these two things were ac-
cepted. the Douglas boom was in
evitable
Constantly Doomed for Office.
For one thing, Mr. Douglas, always
a 100 per cent New Dealer, is the
ideal of the Roosevelt liberals" For
another, ever SINCE he became
member of the Supreme Court he
has been constantly doomed for
some political Office, much to the
ANNOYANCE of some of his colleagues
who regard his acquiescent, not to
say encouraging, attitude as not IN
tune with the highest traditions OF
the court.
Primarily, it is said, he is the
favored candidate of Tommy Cor
coran, once Mr.. Roosevelts fair
haired boy and now "cashing in"
In a big way as Washington law
yer. There is no doubt that Mr..
Corcoran and the elements which
want to lynch Mr.. Truman would
rather have Mr.. Douglas as the
Democratic candidate than anyone
else. Naturally. But there are two
very considerable obstacles in the
way of that wish.
One is that nothing even resembl-
ing a plausible draft" can be rugged
for Mr.. Douglas in the Democratic
Convention Southern Democrats
would have even better reasons for
opposing his nomination than they
have for opposing Mr.. Truman s.
And in the unlikely event OF his
nomination, conservative, anti-NeW
Deal Democrats would have no
alternative save support Of the Re-
publican candidate.
Election Prospects Held Poor.
The only real enthusiasm for Mr..
Douglas is among the Roosevelt
intimates of the aforementioned
CLIQUE, including the Roosevelt
Bows" and the CIO leaders who af-
filiate or sympathize with this over
publicized group. In brlet, MI
Douglas prospects of election Ger
tainly would be no better than
Mr.. Trumans-if as good. That
quite obvious fact creates the sec
ond obstacle, which is Mr.. Douglas
almost certain refusal to run. This
is not because he does not itch TO
be President or Vice President.
And not because he does not love
the publicity accompanying MS
boom. 1t is because, however eX-
treme Mr.. Douglas views may be,
he is not sufficiently unbalanced to
give I'D the security and dignity OF
a seat on the Supreme Court 10
make a run for the presidency with
the odds so heavily against success.
That would be feebleminded, in
deed. And that, of course. goes
double for Chief Justice VlnSon.
So. the Roosevelt, left-wing
effort to lynch Mr.. Truman seems
likely to wind up with the pro-
Roosevelt left-wingers in a ditch
of their own digging. They have no
candidate. Nor are they likely to
get one who will do any better than
Mr.. Truman. They hate the Repub-
licans. They hate Mr.. Wallace and
they hate Mr.. Truman, though ad-
vocating the Truman policies. Ap-
parently, they hate everyone except
themselves.
Their real hope seems to be to
bring back the old Roosevelt days
through one of the Roosevelt
boys"-not a very robust prospect
At the moment they occupy rather
silly position which will get more SC
rs it becomes clearer.
District SAR to Install
Col Conner Monduv