Evening star., 1948-06-15
The Political Mill
Will lsoIotionist Tail
Wog Republican Dog?
Lowest Form of Its Activity Seen in
Attempt to Smear Vandenbers
By Gould Lincoln

Lowest rOrm OF ITS ACTIVITY seen In
Attempt to Smear Vandenberk
= By Gould Lincoln
Is its isolationist tail going to wag the Re-
publican dog? This is major question which
the Republican National Convention meeting
in Philadelphia next week, will answer. The
answer will come in the writing Of the Repub-
lican Party platform and the nomination Of
candidates for President and Vice President.
The isolationist tail Of the COP is exceed
ingly active. One of the lowest forms Of its
activity is its present attempt to smear Senator
vandenberg Of Michigan. Republican chairman
of the Senate Foreign Relations Compittee,
who frequently has been mentioned as the
most likely presidential nominee if the partys
national convention becomes deadlocked over
Messrs. Dewey, Taft, Stassen and various
favorite e-Son candidates.
The attacks on the Michigan Senator have
increased for two reasons as the opening Of the
convention has drawn closer. First, those Re-
publicans who are opposed to the bipartisan
foreign policy which has been built up under
the Vandenberg leadership in the Senate, have
viewed with alarm the growing sentiment for
a Vandenberg nomination which has extended
from one end of the country to the other.
Second, supporters of some of the other presi-
Dental possibilities have not been averse to
seeing a monkey wrench thrown into the
Vandenberg-for-President machinery.
One Of Smear Efforts.
One of the smear efforts is to paint Senator
Vandenberg as copy Of President Truman
the choice, to be sure, of the Democrats for
the Republican presidential nomination. This
total absurdity of this proposition lies in the
fact that the Michigan Senator himself has
been responsible for the present foreign policy
of the United States It was his effort which
put backbone into the Truman administration:
which turned this Government from . former
policy Of appeasement Of Soviet Russia. This
effort began as far or farther back than the
meeting of the United Nations in San Fran
cisco to write a United Nations Charter, and
was continued at the London meeting OF the
new organization. 1t bore fruit when the Sc
curity Council of the United Nations got down
to work in New York-and has continued to
do so.
In the successful framing of this foreign policy
called Experimentation Vandenberg has
done masterful job for the Republican Party
and for the country. The G. o. p. in Congress
and out has looked to him as its leader on
foreign affairs especially as he has been In
key position as Senate Foreign Relations chair
campaign to belittle him. He is. the smear
artists say, too old and too i'll to be President,
Notwithstanding the reports of his own ply
sician. He is, however, less than two months
older than President Truman. 1t may be re-
called, too, that when Franklin D. Roosevelt
was first running for the Democratic Presi-
Dental nomination in 1882, all kinds OF pre-.
dictions were made that he could not last two
wears in the White House. Yet 1t was more
than IL years later when Roosevelt died-still
in the White House.
Grist to the Isolation Mill.
The recent action of the House of Represen-
tatives clipping nearly $2,000,000,000 of the
European Recovery Program appropriation. was
seized upon as a weapon to beat Senator Van
denberg and his presidential chances over the
head 1t was all grist to the isolationists mill.
It looks, now, however, as though this was just
another fight which the Michigan Senator will
win, and nearly all Of the money will be re-
stored to carry out the program OF relief and
reconstruction which had been promised by the
United States Government. Senator Vanden-
bergs demand that this action be taken, made
to the Senate Appropriations Committee, bore
immediate fruit He promptly was backed in
his stand by Gov. Dewey Of New York. Harold
E. Stassen OF Minnesota, and Gov. Warren OF
California-all Of whom are among the leading
candidates for the presidential nomination,
Senator Vandenberg repeatedly has insisted
he is not q candidate for the presidential NOM
nation There exists however, a widespread
desire for his election-a desire which undoubt-
edly will have its influence on the balloting in
Philadelphia next week. Indeed, unless the
smear efforts of his opponents are successful.
an impasse in the convention because Of Dewey
and Taft strength could easily be resolved by
the nomination of Senator Vandenberg. The
Michigan delegation, Al strong will vote for him
on the first ballot, and probably keep on voting
for him as long as that possibility exists.
So far as the writing of the Republican
platform is concerned the isolationists will get
no Joy out of 1t. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge,
jr. of Massachusetts, has been made chairman
Of the Resolutions Committee Of the national
convention. He has been strong right hand OF
Senator Vandenberg in the drive for the foreign
policy of the United States.