Evening star., 1949-05-23
Chester BowIes Seen
As Contender in 1850
AS Liberal Democrat
Ey the Asxoe.esed Press

Count Gov. Chester Bowles of
Connecticut in on the 1852 presi-
Dental nomination race as one OF
| the white hopes" of that seq
ment of the Democratic Party
which classes itself as liberal.
Friends figure that If the gang
/ ling former OPA chief can make
the grade for reelection as Gov
ernor next year. he will be set
10 bid for the nomination IL
President Truman decides not to
run again.
Just now Gov. Bowles is occu-
pied deciding what to do about
filling the vacancy that will re-
suit from the surprise decision of
Senator Baldwin, Republican of
Connecticut, to accept an offer
of a place on the State Supreme
Court next December.
He has an opportunity to dram
atize his efforts to wear the lib
eral" label If he can find the right
man.
Connecticut politicians say it's
almost certain Gov. Bowles won't
clear the way for his own ap-
pointment to the Senate. He ap-
parently thinks the road to the
presidential nomination has fewer
detours through the Governors
office. where the record is made
mostly on State issues.
t.f Friendly with Truman.
OF course the Republicans could
spoil all of his plan If they man
age to push him out of Office in
the 1850 race. He barely skinned
by last November although Presi-
dent Truman lost the State.
Relations between Mr.. Truman
and Gov. Bowles seem to be
friendly. He probably would like
to forget now that he went on al
national hookup last spring to de-
clare that the Presidents chances
of election slim to the disap-
pearing point" and to add that
"the Democratic Party cannot and
will not unite behind the Presi-
dent"
Despite this false start. there is
no apparent feeling in the admin
istration camp that Gov. Bowles
didn't do his best for Mr.. Truman
in the CONNECTICUT campaign last
fall.
Thus If Mr.. Truman doesn't run
himself he might not have to
stretch a point to include the 49,
year-old Governor on any list Of
those acceptable to him.
Founder of ADA.
Gov. Bowles' own State casts
only eight electoral votes. New
York has Al and Pennsylvania IS.
But friends point to Mr.. Truman
and his Is Missouri electoral votes
as evidence that times and politi-
cal thinking have changed. They
feel it is not necessary for candi-
date to come from a big state.
AS one of the founders of Amer
leans for Democratic Action. the
Connecticut Governor represents a
line of thinking that has some out
standing, If not materially large,
backing within the Democratic
Party.
AS far as he can make himself
he is an exponent of the Roosevelt
New Deal and Roosevelt ideas. AS
a.small demonstration. he was the
first Connecticut Governor to name
a woman and Negro to his staff.
AS a Government official during
the war. He was on the inter-
nationalist side, although he was
not directly involved in furnish
ing the answers to most foreign
questions.
In 1910, as a New York adver-
tising executive. he was listed as
member Of the America First
organization. then urging the
United States to stop sending aid
to Great Britain.
He dismisses that by saying that |
his relationship with America
First was predicated largely on
friendship with its director.
AS price administrator. he won
the enmity Of a large slice Of Con- |
gress. He said when he first went
into the OPA In 1943, mo sensible |