Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-11-01
DuI|es-Lehmon Race seen
As Cut-Throut Campaign
Fight for New York Seat in Senate
One of the Most Bitter in Years
The Political Mill
Bv Gould Lincoln

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One of the Most Bitter in Years
By Gould Lincoln
NEW YORK, Nov. For a couple Of
dignified gentlemen, Senator John Foster
Dulles. Republican. and former Gov. Herbert
H. Lehman, Democrat, are putting on q
bloody, cut-throat campaign for Senator in
this Empire State Senator Dulles implies
that Mr.. Lehman is at least willing recipi-
ent of Communist support. Mr.. Lehman re-
taliates by calling Senator Dulles "bigot."
Each reaches down into the mud and hurls
handful at his opponent. Indeed, the
senatorial fracas has turned out to be one
of the most bitter in recent years. 1t is over
shadowing the ugly mayoralty struggle here.
where fusion is attacking Mayor William
ODwyer as tool of Tammany, allied with
the underworld, and Representative Marc
antonio American Labor Party candidate, is
assailing both Mayor O'Dwyer and the Re-
publican-fusion candidate, Newbold Morris.
Senator Dulles, who is serving under APP
pointment of Gov. Dewey, shoots in body
blows in every speech against the Truman
"statism" program, which, he charges, his
opponent has swallowed, hook line and
sinker. Mr.. Lehman, on the other hand.
pictures himself as a great humanitarian
belonging to the AL Smith, Franklin D.
Roosevelt and Bob Wagner galaxy OF liberals.
No Novice at Game.
At a luncheon rally for professional and
business men in the Commodore Hotel, Mr..
Lehman fguratively beat his breast and pro-
claimed his liberalism and at the same time
insisted that Senator Dulles had never lifted
finger or his voice in support Of humane
tartan measures. A short, dunpy man. bald
ing on top, Mr.. Lehman speaks in highly
cultured voice, with quiet and pleasant
information. Every now and then he seems
to lisp just triff1e. but he is by no means
bad speaker. He is, of course, no novice
at the game, for he was elected Lieutenant
Governor twice and Governor four times.
And he made one former unfortunate run
for the Senate, when he was defeated in 1946
by Senator IVES Republican.
Mr.. Dulles, on the other hand, is a novice.
He has never run for public Office before.
never campaigned for himself. But he has
surprised his friends as well as his enemies
at the ease with which he takes on Mr..
Lehman. 1t might almost be said that he
gets Mr.. LehmanS goat-although the latter
has done his best to ignore Senator Dulles.
Almost every other day, Senator Dulles sends
Mr.. Lehman challenge to debate with him
on the same platform. This, however, Mr..
Lehman and his campaign managers have
no idea of accepting. Mr.. Lehman Is good
when he stands on platform, with piece
OF paper in his hand. and follows prepared
speech. But that he could engage in
rough tumble debate with Senator
Dulles. the lawyer, and come out unscathed
is something else.
Dulles Surprises Many.
Mr.. Dulles, indeed, has been quite sur
prise to a lot of people ever since he came
to Washington last summer to take the
Senate seat made vacant by the resignation
OF former Senator Wagner, Democrat. He
had scarcely been there a day when he
engaged in a lengthy-and punchy-debate
with veteran Senator Taft of Ohio over the
North Atlantic Security Treaty and came off
with flying colors.
The Republican Senator has objected
strenuously to Sample three minute speech
for sound truck" sent out by the Independent
Citizens Committee for Mr. Lehman which
charges Senator Dulles with "bigotry." Mr..
Dulles denounced the speech as a malicious
SANDER" called on Mr.. Lehman to retract
it or meet him face to face-presumably for
debate. Il demand that you be man enough
to meet me openly or apologize" said Senator
Dulles in letter to the former Governor
This brick-bat type of campaign has its
advantages, even if it lessons dignity. It
stirs up the voters. Republicans who ran
the Dewey campaign last year are wishing
today they had turned their candidate lose
to jab at Mr.. Truman as Mr. Dulles does at
Mr.. Lehman. Election day will tell whether
this kind OF thing pays off,