Evening star., 1948-11-20
The Political Mill
Truman Able to Stymie
Any Ambitious Democrat
Backers of 1852 Presidential Timber
Must Watch Man in White House
Bv Gould Lincoln

Already discussion has arisen over the prob.
able Democratic nominee for President In 1852.
Strangely enough the name Of President Harry
S. Truman has not appeared In these discus.
sions as prominently as the names Of other
Democrats. Chester Bowles, Governor-elect OF
Connecticut, for example, and Frank Lausche,
Governor-elect Of Ohio; Senator Scott Lucas Of
Illinois, who seems destined to be Democratic
leader Of the Upper House IN the new Congress,
and Senator-elect Hubert Humphrey Of Min.
nesota have all been mentioned. It may be
necessary, however, for the hackers Of these
gentlemen to take . look at the man In the
White House before they begin to figure victory.
Mr.. Truman, having won an astounding vic.
tory against great odds In the recent presiden.
tial election, may feel that he and his
administration have been completely vindicated,
and that he can retire with good grace at the
end Of the next four years. Indeed that may
be his own desire. If that is 50 and he is not
few Presidents have felt at complete liberty
to do. He can go ahead and run his admin
istration without thought of any political
impact on his own ambitions.
In Position to Do job
With free hand, except for the prediction
pledges he made, the President would be In a
better position to do the job. Even his promises
can be carried out only If he can persuade
Congress to put through the necessary legisla-
ton. In the administration of the law and his
Office, however, Mr.. Truman can do Just what
he believes is for the best interests of the
country. Nationwide strike endangering the
people might be test-should such q strike
arise. .-s'.
1t will not be long before Mr.. Truman will
be asked to clarity his position toward another
term in the White House. Ordinarily Presi-
dent is not expected to announce he will not
be candidate to succeed himself. To do so,
it has been argued, is to lessen his own power
and influence. That is debatable. Further.
Mr.. Truman is one Of the most frank men who
has held his present high position. He might
easily speak out on this subject, as he has on
others.
The third-term tradition was smashed to
smithereens by Mr. Truman's immediate pred.
ecessor, Franklin D. Roosevelt, even If the
four years, lacking two months and twelve days,
which Mr.. Truman served Of the last Roosevelt
term Is considered q "first term" for Mr..
Truman. His own party could not possibly
raise objection to another nomination for Mr..
Truman on the third-term issue.
Two other Presidents who entered the White
House from the vice presidency, Theodore
Roosevelt and Calvin Coolidge both declined to
run after serving their first elective terms.
Colonel Roosevelt said fatty, after his election
in 1904 that he would consider his service Of
three years and approximately six months,
following McKinley's assassination first term
Mr. Coolidge, who took over when Harding died,
contented himself with saying II do not
choose to run"
Difficult to Dislodge.
Judging from the past, Mr.. Truman would
be difficult man to dislodge If he should
determine to run in 1852. No one knows yet
how his new term is going to work out, or II
he can please the various groups to whom he
promised everything. But it does not seem
possible he could be at lower degree Of popu.
iarity with his own party than he was in May
and June of this year--when desperate efforts
were made by many Of the most prominent
Democratic leaders to get Mr.. Truman out of
the race and to pick another in his place. II
he could win the nomination in 194S, he Ger.
tainly should be able to do SO in 1852. Incl
dentally, Vice President-elect Barley is begin.
ming first term at II years Of age.
Mr.. Truman will be 68 years old when the
Democratic National Convention opens In the
summer Of 1852. He may wish to step aside and
rest. But, physically he is going strong today
and he may very well be in such good health
that his age would matter little If he sought
another term.
All of this, however, will not slacken q bit
either the ambitions Of other Democrats who
wish to try for the presidential nomination
four years hence, nor will 1t keep their friends
from doing their utmost to put them In posi-.
tion to strike for the nomination This activity
will go ahead, whether Mr.. Truman remains Q
sphinx about his political future or not