Evening star., 1949-01-30
Lady From Maine Tries
to Keep Colleagues
From Fighting
By Mary MeGroy

Of tune, came q long distance call to
the office of Senator Margaret Chase
Smith of Maine.
On the other end of the wire was
q harassed colleague wailing that
things had gone too far with anony-
nous notes and transcripts of tele-
phone calls. The Senate's new and
only woman member heard him out.
Then she made q few well-chosen
In her calm, Down East
twang.
you say you want to get rid Of
Hugh Scott (the Republican ma
tional chairman, but you don't
know how you're going to do 1t. And
you don't know who you want to put
In his place. Now, why don't both
sides get together and talk 1t over,
give q little and take a little, and
get the thing settled? think Hugh
SCOTS a big enough man to do
that"
Paid Tribute by Taft
Senator Smiths freshly painted
suite, No. 329, is the smallest in the
Senate ONCE Building. But it may
become the biggest little Office on
Capitol Hill-perhaps the only one
large enough to hold both sides of
the warning factions in the COP.
An indication of how Mrs. Smiths
colleagues regard her in the role of
mediator was contained in a toast
offered at an Inauguration eve gath
ering by no less parsonage than
Senator Taft, Republican policy
maker, whom Mrs. Smith supported
in the recent Young Turk-Old
Guard" row because she felt the
revolt was founded on personalities,
not issues" Senator Taft, who is
less given to pretty speeches
than any one in Washington, called
Mrs. Smith "the Joan of Arc of the
Party, who may well lead
us out of the morass of defeat"
Mrs. Smith was gratif1ed by that
coming from Senator Taft, whose
record on health education and
housing legislation she admires. But
she modestly discounts any media
ton role for herself with the state
ment that she is "just q freshman,
and not important in the party"
At the same time, however, she
is equally well regarded by the So
called progressives of the party, who
have studied her self-reliant con-
duct in the House Of Representa-
tives. In nine years, Representative
Smith voted each issue as she saw
it, even when it meant being the
lone COP holdout against cutting
the Presidents budget in 1947.
Republicans Listen to Her
Recalling that lonely stand, Mrs.
Smith, who has so pretty a face
that people forget she has a jaw as
firm as Maine granite, says: II
won't be forced. You Just can't
crowd me-"
The most winning personality in
COP ranks, whose victory was as
refreshing as an ofishore breeze to
wilted Republicans, is Q womanly
woman, whose charm is not based
on gush or glitter. Her appeal Is
in a strength Of character that Is
reflected in wide-set, steady, gray
blue eyes, in a firm and generous
mouth, in a warm handclasp. Her
only political tricks as far as any
one can tell are forthrightness, di-
rectness ard complete sincerity.
Nowadays when Mrs. Smith, who
has been named q member OF the
Policy Committee, raises her voice
in party council, Republicans listen
to what she has to say. Her over
whelming personal triumph in a
rough-and-tumble campaign for the
Senate against three hard-f1ghting
two Of them millionaire
of Maine, has already
become a political legend. Deaf to
the laughter which greeted her an
to enter the race, Mrs.
Smith ran on Q shoestring and
came in on q landslide, rolling up q
vote that exceeded the combined
tally of her three rivals.
So her council Of patience and
compromise may be needed. Her
is that 1t is not the func-
tion of the minority to offer only
opposition. The Republicans should
offer constructive and positive &C
ton"
And don't think we should set
our minds against bill just because
it's Democratic. If 1t is a good bill
and our support would enhance our
record, then we should 60 along
with it."
Her speech at q recent dinner
meeting Of the Women's National
Press Club has been widely quoted.
She said, in part, "The party which
first Identifies itself in the eyes OF
the public as the moderate party
will achieve Wctory-because it will
have acceded to the will of the
people rather than to any special
groups"
Prefers Independent Tag
That, in a word, Is her political
That philosophy, Incl
deptollv hoe heen the subject of