Evening star., 1948-07-07
Draft Of Eisenhower
Seen as Strategy 10
Eliminate Truman
Convention Could Turn
To Others If General Is
Nominated, Refuses to Ru,
BY David Laurence

Some Democratic leaders who
want to draft Gen. Eisenhower de-
spite his explicit declaration that
he could not accept" believe
they can persuade him to change
his mind when confronted with an
actual nomination.
There is, however, a deeper STRAIT
egy than this in the effort to bring
about the nomination Of Gen. Eisen-
hover In the face OF his unwilling
ness to run. The idea is to put his
name into the balloting along with
that Of President Truman. If the
Eisenhower nomination is actually
made, it means the elimination OF
Mr.. Truman. II, then. Gen. Eisen-
hover formally tenders a letter de-
clining to accept-something that
can happen in few hours-the
convention can turn to other names
But it would be unlikely to turn back
TO Mr.. Truman. The convention
would then be wide open.
1t has been suggested by a few
wags around here-maybe they are
Republican wags-that If all the
Democrats are interested in is a
well-advertised name, without know
ing particularly what his views hap
pen to be on public questions, then
why don't they select Bing Crosby?
Or why not Spencer Tracy, who
did masterful job of running for
Office in the movie play, THE State
of the Union?"
Left-Wing Strategy.
Some Democrats are making a
shambles of their nominating con-
test. They are using the Eisenhower
name primarily to get rid of PreSi-
dent Truman, who, for reasons Of
his own, stubbornly refuses to with
draw. Every day, however, that
the recurrent drive for Gen. Eisen-
hover keeps going makes it evident
that Mr.. Truman is not considered
by the Democrats themselves to be
a good enough candidate to make
the race.
The idea which the "left-wing'
Democrats have nurtured for some
time is that once Gen. Eisenhower
Is drafted and offered the nomina-
ton it wouldn't matter so much II
he declined, because the convention
might then be stampeded for JUS
tice William O. Douglas of the Su-
preme Court of the United States
who more than any other man to-
day, except possibly Henry Wallace
represents the radical wing of the
party. 1t could be that If Justice
Douglas were named Mr.. Wallace
might consider that he had won his
battle against President Truman
and that ne could, therefore, sup
port the Democratic ticket again
It would send cold shivers up anc
down the Republican spinal cord II
Mr.. Wallace withdrew and If Justice
Douglas were nominated and the
Democratic ticket had the enthusi.
astic support of Gen. Eisenhower.
There is always a possibility that
President Truman might turn the
tables on the opposition within the
party by offering man to succeed
himself. That man might be Gen
Marshall. While the Secretary OF
State has said he could not be
drafted for political office. he would
not refuse request proffered him
by the President of the United
States. The name of George Mar
shall is we'll advertised, too.
Spectacle Not Inspiring.
The Democratic convention may
wind up with Mr. Truman as its
Douglas as Vice President. The
drive to draft Gen. Eisenhower has
kicked up p controversy unprece-
dented in party history. Here Is a
man who might have been the Re-
publican nominee in year which
most observers have considered
would bring a Republican victory
and the same man is now being
urged to accept a Democratic nom-
ination to save a party and a group
of officeholders who Just simply
don't want to give up their jobs on
the Federal payroll.
The spectacle is not an inspiring
one. If the effort to get Gen Eisen-
hover to run had been built UP
around particular issue of funda-
mental importance. such as the
Republican tendency to revert tr
isolationism or the "straddle" plank
on foreign policy adopted by the
recent convention at Philadelphia
the whole situation would be on a
higher plane todav-and maybe
Gen. Eisenhower would have sensed
a call to duty. But call to save
Frank Hague in New jersey or the
political bosses of other State ma
chimes isn't very closely related to
either a national or an interna-
tional crisis.
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