Evening star., 1949-09-28
Taft Replies in Ohio
To Eisenhower Query
On Aims Of Party
BY Gould Lincoln
Stor Staff Correspondent


Sior Stoff Correspondent
PORTSMOUTH, Ohio, Sept. %
Senator Taft, Republican, of
Ohio, who has pledged himself
to carry his report to the peo-
pie" into all 88 counties of his
home State in 13 weeks, has hit
his stride and Is going strong
after having invaded IS or 16 OF
the counties.
Today he is in Scioto County
in the Ohio River Valley. a county
in which he has had trouble in
the past. He is meeting with farm
groups and visiting industrial
plants. Last night he addressed
a meeting Of about 1000 in the
Portsmouth High School. Not
only was be given earnest atten-
ton. but he was frequently in
terrupted with a burst of ap-
plause when he drove home points
in his plea for the retention of
liberty of the individual and of
enterprise in this country.
Without in any way criticizing
Gen. Eisenhower, president of Co.
lumbia University and a potential
presidential candidate in 1852
possibly against Mr.. Taft himself
the Ohio Senator undertook to
educate the general on what the
Republican Party stands for.
Name Brought Up Again.
II read in a newspaper" Sena-
tor Taft said, that Gen. Eisen-
hover wants to know what the
Republican Party stands for
That's easy. The Republican
Party is opposed to controls by
the Federal Government over the
activities Of the American people.
We have sought to equalize
labor-management relations. We
have opposed universal military
training. We have opposed
socialized medicine. We are
against the Brannan farm plan
and it's controls, which would al
low the Government in Washing
ton to tell every farmer what he
must plant and how much or how
little. We are against the Fair
Deal program which can only
result in setting up in this coun-
try a Labor-Socialist government
which has failed in England"
This Taft statement was made
at a luncheon meeting of the
Republican Central Committee of
Adams County in the American
Legion Hall at West Union, coun-
ty seat Of that small agricultural
county.
Gen. Eisenhower's name was
again brought into the discussion
at the night meeting in Ports
mouth. During the question
period, to which Senator Taft in
variably submits himself at all
his meetings, a questioner asked
do you think that Gen. Eisen-
hover will run for President?"
With a broad grin on his face
Senator Taft answered:
II am not competent to answer
that question.
Answers Labor Attack.
At the same meeting, Senator
Taft waded into the attack which
has been made on him and the
Taft Hartley labor law by union
leaders.
William Green, president of the
American Federation of Labor, re-
Gently said that I must be de-
feated because had supported the
the Taft-Hartley Act and because
I had opposed it's repeal in this
Congress-" Senator Taft began
He said that every member OF
Congress who opposed repeal must
be purged.
IF you adopt that principle,
you won't have a Government
worthy of the name. No man will
have the courage to stand up in
Congress and say what he honest
ly believes. Pressure groups will
have complete command"
ut was President Truman who
proposed a slave labor law when
a railroad strike was threatened" !"
the Senator said. He wanted a
law to draft the workers into the
Army" He added that the House
had quickly passed such bill, but
that it had been killed in the SEN
ate after he. Taft. had entered an
objection to its immediate con-
sideration.
To Leave for ID. C. Tonight.
I'VE passed labor bill in the
Senate making 16 amendments to
the Taft-Hartley Act and improv-
ing it along lines asked by labor
ITSELF the Senator said. "Yet
when 1t reached the House, the
President and labor leaders said: ::
We don't want any of it; we pre-
fer to have the Taft-Hartley Act
as an issue in the election cam
paign next year." -
Senator Taft, touring the State
IN an automobile accompanied by
Mrs. Taft. will go into Lawrence
County this afternoon and will
visit industrial plants in Ironton.
Tonight he will address a Joint
dinner meeting of the Kiwanis
and Lion Clubs. Later, he will
leave by train to return to WASH
ington and his senatorial duties.
He will go back to Ohio after a
day or two and into the Columbus
area.