Evening star., 1948-01-24
The Political Mil
Eisenhower's 5 Statement
Ends Campaign Shadow
First-Strins G. o. p. Candidates Lose
Nomination Nightmares
By Gould LfncoIn

By Gould Lincoln
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower's eleventh-hor
statement that he is mot available and "could
not accept" nomination to be President seems
to have put an end to the possibility OF his
nomination by the Republican National Con-
vention next June. That convention could,
conceivably, go ahead and tender the general
its presidential nomination. He could not,
conceivably, accept-without stultifying him.
self. This writer does not believe Gen. Esen-
hover would do any such thing.
The growth and development of the Eisen-
hover boom for the presidency however, has
been so great that his supporters will relin-
quish their drive for hina-if they do-with the
greatest reluctance. They have planned q
draft" OF the general, without his ever becom-
ing an active candidate or in any way acknowl-
edging candidacy. Many of them have con-
sidered him at least receptive--bec he did
not slam the door in their faces at the very
start Of the drive.
The impact Of Gen. Eisenhower's most recent
statement on the political situation, both for
the Democrats and the Republicans, Is severe
In the first place. President Truman, who
appears certain of the Democratic nomination,
realizes that he will In all probability not have
to face the popular war hero at the polls next
NOSciuUcT. hnu ll1S SQppU1 bCiS WILL AC6NC
a sigh Of relief-very real relief.
Shadow Eliminated
In the second place, the flrst-string Republic
can candidates for the presidential nomination
Dewey, Taft, Stassen and Warren-will no
longer be subject to Eisenhower Nightmares.
They are still, and will be, locked In des-
perate struggle for the nomination. but they
now can concentrate on each other without
always having in the back of their minds the
shadow of an Eisenhower threat.
Gov Dewey of New York still continues to
stand forth as the most likely choice OF the
Republican convention He still has to run the
gauntlet of the presidential preferential pri-
maries in number of which he will be en-
tered in opposition to former Gov. Stassen OF
Minnesota and Gov. Warren Of California and
possibly Gen. Douglas Macarthur, unless Gen.
Macarthur does what Gen. Eisenhower has
done and takes himself completely out Of the
race. Senator Taft of Ohio has declared he
will enter none of these primary races except
that Of his own State, Ohio. Unless all signs
fail, Gov. Dewey will make good showing in
these primary elections, increasing thereby his
prestige Public-sentiment polls continue to
show him the strongest candidate the Re-
publicans could have to oppose President Tru-
particularly with Henry A. Wallace In the race
as an independent candidate.
OF the three outstanding military men whose
names have been put forward as presidential
timber-Marshall, Eisenhower and Macarthur
the first two have now taken themselves out
of the picture. Gen. Macarthur has never said
anything about politics-but with Macarthur
slate of delegate candidates entered in the
Wisconsin primary, which comes of in April,
he will have to make some statement or be
considered at least receptive candidate.
Effect ON Macarthur.
Gen. Eisenhower, in his letter to Leonard v.
Finder, publisher of the Manchester, N. H,
Union Leader, a strong supporter of the Eisen-
hower-for President movement definitely aligns
himself as an opponent of high civil and polit-
ical Office for professional soldiers Sin the abb
sence of some obvious and overriding reasons"
He sees no reasons for the selection of military
man for President at this time. While he made
no mention of Gen. Macarthur, his reasoning
applies In MacArthurs case as well as in his
own It may have its effect on a possible
Macarthur candidacy.
It Is, in way, unfortunate that Gen. Eisen-
hover could not have brought himself TO speak
as clearly and bluntly regarding presidential
nomination months ago. Considerable work
has been done and much effort expended by
his admirers to put him in position to be
nominated by the Republicans. When he an
nounced his plans to retire from the Army and
become president of Columbia University, there
was much speculation that he was making him.
self available for q presidential nomination.
His reiterated statements that he was not In
terested in politics and was not candidate
did not remove him as a potential candidate.
He might better have followed the course OF
Gen Marshall, who fatty declared, when he
was about to become Secretary OF State, that
he could not be drafted. That left no one in
doubt.
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