Courier-herald. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1949-1950, 1949-11-26
Roy Tucker
Ike Will Behave

WASHINGTON. Nov. 25 - General
Dwight David Eisenhower's political fri
ends and advisers have become convinced
that he must avoid partisan commitments
and entanglenents and seek the Republic
can presidential nomination in 1852 as the
representative of popular demand like
Hoover in 1928 and Wendell Wilkie in
1910. There are indications that he agrees
with this theory and will behave accord
ingly. -. ,.s.
The president of Columbia University
has recently pursued policy which an
tagoniZes the Old Guard politicians in the
COP. as well as the "isolationist" faction
represented by James. S. Kemper of Chi
cago. Mr.. "Kemper resigned his post as
treasurer of the national committee large
ly in protest against the gifts we "are
shoWering upon Britain-younger sister of
Communism"
Unless they conclude two years hence
that no other figure will have the remotest
chance OF defeating President Truman or
some other Democratic nominee, these two
groups will try to block any Eisenhower
for-President movement among Republic
cans. And they represent an admittedly
powerful and well-financed coalition.
STAND-When the European COM
nander was advanced as possible candi-
date last year, Republican high in the
party and Capitol Hill hierarchy expressed
the confidential belief that Eisenhower
must do two things, and quickly, to have
an outside chance for the nomination.
"First," this veteran politico continu-
ed, ."He must declare that he is Republi-
can, with no ands, ifs and butts about it.
He can't make goo-goo eyes at both par
ties, as Hoover and Pershing did in 1925,
only to see us nominate one of our own
Warren Harding.
Secondly, he must take definite
stand on public questions, domestic and
foreign, and cut out this Dewey-Willkie,
sweetness-and-ligh unity stuff. We've
had enough of that nonsense!"
OPPoSITE-The same shrewd Re-
publican, who has received high honors
from Congress and frequently been mem
toned as a candidate himself, reiterated
this belief even more emphatically since
the elections early this month, when the
COP. took shellacking almost every
where.
Meanwhile, General Eisenhower has
done just the contrary. When he regis
tered as New York voter in October, he
did not enroll with either major party, pre-
ferring to be classified as an "indepen-
dent" He has taken no definite stand on
major issues, although still indicating that
he supports the major premises of the
Administrations foreign program.
It is for these reasons, in the opinion
of Republicans and anti-Truman Demo-
Gratis, that he must develop such non-parti-
son popularity that the professional polls
will be afraid not to nominate him.
If he can show that he will out-appeal
any Democratic rival among many Of the
elements which have been supporting the
New Deal regimes, even COP. skeptics
and opponents will accept him to satisfy
their hunger for victory and a reversal of
welfare state" trends. They would do
so only half-heartedly, however.
ers would prefer Senator Robert A. Taft,
and the same is true of conservative and
distinguished Democrats, including ex-
cabinet members, two living Democratic
presidential nominees and key party MEM
bers on Capitol Hill.
But even if Mr.. Taft is returned to
the Senate next year. these anti Truman
leaders are fearful that he could not defeat
such rabble-rouser and welfare-stater
as Mr.. Truman or copyrighted article of
the same brand. They cannot forget the
Ohioan's unbending personality on the
stump or his association with the law
which organized labor's leaders SO despise.
Therefore, they believe that their only
hope is the erstwhile head of SHAEF, as