Evening star., 1949-02-05
Odds Favor PASSAGE
OF Truman Program,
But Riff Is Possible
Things Could Happen
To Upset Impressive List
OF Bills Fucinq Congress
Rv Frank K. Kent

OF Bills Facing Congress
By Frank X. Kent
Apparently the literary artists
who wrote Mr.. Truman's state-of-
the-Union message for him put in
everything they could think of. Ger
tainlv 1t bulged bigger with recon-
mendations and proposals than any
that can be recalled. But that was
natural enough, for Mr.. Truman, in
his campaign, promised more things
to more people than any presidential
candidate ever heard Of.
The question now Is: How many
of these pledges Is he really going
to try to redeem and how fully?
Perhaps they are wrong, but the
belief is strong among those close
to him that most of his so-called
program will be adopted about as he
wants it. It will not be. informed
men say, 100 per cent. No President
ever achieves 100 per cent. but it
will not be too far of. They also
think it Is going to be done swiftly.
They base these convictions upon
the following: Cd His unexpected
victory plus the fact that he will be
President, in his own right, for four
years gives him political prestige
and power in Congress he utterly
lacked before; (2) the Democrats
have the votes in both House and
Senate; 90 the committee chair
men are nearly all administration
men eager to aid; % the Demo-
cratic leaders are far more closely
in tune with the White House than
before: 90 Vice President Barkley,
as the presiding officer Of the Sen
iate, and the Presidents close and
able friend, Leslie Biffle, its secre-
tary, are an extraordinarily efec-'
tive and potent pair; (6) the Re-
publicans are not entirely united;
Cd resistance to the spending, in
volved in most of the Truman pro-
posals, has weakened; 90 on nearly
everything, the labor and farm lob
bies will cooperate and support.
List Is Impressive.
Undoubtedly, this is an impress
sive list. 1t would seem to mean
that in fairly short time the Taft
Hartley Act will be replaced by
an utterly inadequate substitute
which gives no protection 10 the
national interests and removes all
curbs to labor abuses; the civil
rights program jammed through,
despite the furiously protesting
South; the Social Security System
vastly expanded; the first steps
taken in the socialization Of medi-
cine; Federal housing and Federal
education bills enacted. That Is the
prospect, but, as the late Lew
Dockstader used to say, 1T just
amt necessarily So" There are a
good many things that can happen
to make this array of reasons less
formidable. Calculations in regard
to legislation. such as are above
presented, often have a way OF fall
ing apart.
For example, already there ap-
pears a slight rift in the harmony
between the President and the C1OI
bosses, who, though they violently
opposed his nomination and bitter
ly disparaged him personally, now
assume all the credit for his elec-
ton. There is reason to believe they
have been demanding a little too
much of Mr.. Truman, pressing him
a little too hard. And it is en-
couraging to note that Mr.. Truman
is showing some slight signs of re-
sentiments There is possibility
here of break in the adminlstra-
ton phalanx that would affect re-
suits on more than one issue. And,
human nature being what it Is,
there are other possibilities.
Odds Favor Program.
However, it must be admitted the
odds favor the program and among
the presidential strategists con-
fidence in their ability to drive 1t
through is firm. In this connec-
ton it is interesting to note that
no plan exists for giving reality to
the two most sensational sugges-
tions in the Truman message: First,
that the Government put itself In
position to engage in the steel busi-
ness "in event of emergency; Sec
ond. the so-called BOLD New Plan"
for developing the backward areas"
of the world. The first Of these
emanated from Leon Keyserling,
left-wing member of the Presidents
Council of Economic Advisers. 1t
does not have the Endorsement Of
DR.. Edward NourSe, president OF
the council, but was startling In
that 1t seemed a sudden move in
the direction of the naturalization
of industry. It now seems that
there was no force behind this sug-
gestion; that 1t was intended, per-
haps, to frighten the United States
Steel Co. and please the CLOS Mr..
MURRAY, but otherwise Is to be al
lowed to lapse.
AS for the Bold New Plan," full
credit for that noble notion is given
Clark Clifford, close Missouri friend
of Mr.. Truman and counsel to the
President. According to sympathetic
liberal columnistS, the Bold New
Plan" Just seemed good thing to
propose at the time and it did reap
considerable favorable publicity.
But, it is said, nothing will come Of
tt-and nothing was meant to. Even
the elegant and eloquent explana-
tions of Secretary of State Acheson
leave the idea in an extremely
nehulous state. It is not unusual