Evening star., 1949-10-25
The Political Mill
Lehman Finding Questions
By Dulles E embarrassing
G. o. P. Senator Conducting Effective
Campaign Against Ex-Governor
By Gould Lincoln


Senator John Foster Dulles, seeking to
retain his Senate seat at the November elec-
tions, has developed a technique of embar-
RAISING questions which he constantly turns
on his Democratic opponent, former Gov.
Herbert Lehman. For example, he asked Mr..
Lehman why two members of the cabinet,
Attorney General McGrath and Secretary of
Labor Tobin were spending several days in
New York, campo igning for Mr.. Lehman,
despite their heavy responsibilities" in the
emergency growing out of the coal and
steel strikes.
Mr.. Dulles might have asked too, why it
was necessary to bring these two cabinet
officers into the campaign when both Mr..
Lehman and President Truman agreed that
a Lehman victory was in the bag - and it
would not be needful for Mr.. Truman to
speak in New York.
The Republican Senator did ask Mr. Leh-
man, however, why Mr.. McGrath and Mr..
Tobin should have been called into the Leh-
man camp rather than any of the other
seven members.
Unlikely to Answer.
These are questions Mr.. Lehman Is not
likely to answer although there is rea-
son why 1t may have seemed important to
have Mr.. McGrath and Mr.. Tobin In the field
speaking for him, rather than Secretary
ty Administrator Oscar r. Ewing. There has
been considerable uncertainty over the eff
feet, If any, of Mr.. Lehman's rush to defend
Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt when she was at
tackled by Cardinal Spellman as being anti
Catholic. The Catholic vote in New York
City, where Mr.. Lehman must roll up
big majority if ne is to win, is large. Ever
since that incident, Mr. Lehman has been
trying to convince this vote that his heart
tc iv, &~lo@ .1~
Georgetown University, when the papers Of
former Senator Robert F. Wagner were pre-
sented to that university, seems to be in
line with other moves made by the former
Governor
Mr. Dulles has asked Mr. Lehman other
questions-particularly about the support
which Mr. Lehman is receiving from the
Communists and the fellow travellers in New
York's American Labor Party, as we'll as in
the Communist Party itself. It is recalled
that the Communist Party failed to put
candidate for Governor in the field when Mr..
Lehman defeated Gov. Dewey in 1888
by scant 10000 votes, the number of votes
usually cast by the Communist Party in New
York. Mr.. Lehman has resented these ques-
tions, and charged Mr.. Dulles with "bigotry"
Prodded on Spending.
Mr. Lehman has been prodded with ques-
tions, too, about his announced support Of
economy in Government spending-in con-
trast to the high cost of the Truman pro-
gram to which Mr.. Lehman has also pledged
allegiance. Indeed, Mr.. Dulles persistent
questioning has left the former Governor in
an unhappy position. How far Mr.. Lehman
can continue to ignore the questions shot at
him, and not lose thereby, remains to be
seen.
Mr.. Dulles has repeatedly challenged Mr..
Lehman to meet him on the same platform
to debate the issues of the campaign, which
are really national and international issues.
But Mr.. Lehman has backed away from a
joint debate.
AS of today, the betting odds favor Mr.
Lehman, although there are Republicans
who insist that their Mr.. Dulles will emerge
a victor on November g. when the ballots are
all counted. But win or lose, Mr. Dulles has
shown himself an unusually active and effec-
tive campaigner, presumably against odds.
The Truman administration and its allies,
the leaders of organized labor, are fighting as
flercely to elect Mr.. Lehman as they are ex-
pected to fight to defeat-if they can-Sena-
tor Taft in next years election. If Mr. Dulles
can win in New York this fall, 1t will be a
sickening blow to the Truman forces-the
forces which are backing the Truman pro-
gram in the 81st Congress.