Evening star., 1949-10-02
Dulles Battles Uphill
In New York Campaign
Chance of Victory Held Contingent
On Dissatisfied Democrats
By Frank r. Kent

By Frank R. Kent
The character of the New York senatorial
contest between ex-Gov. Herbert Lehman
and John Foster Dulles, who has done more
than any other man, except Senator VAN
denberg, to lift American foreign policy
above partisan politics. makes that election
now hardly month of-the most signif1-
cant political event of the year. Evidence
that it is so regarded by President Truman
is in the unusual degree to which he and
his administration are involved. Not only
was Mr.. Truman influential in bringing
about Mr.. Lehman's nomination, but he has
had State Chairman Fitzpatrick come twice
to the White House to confer, and National
Chairman Boyle is putting every ounce Of
weight the administration possesses back OF
his candidacy.
White House word has gone down the line
to the great army of New York Federal job
holders. Nothing that can be done will be
left undone. The well-founded conviction
is strongly held that Democratic defeat
next month will adversely affect party pros
pects in both 1850 and 1852. Nothing seems
more clear. While it is true Mr.. Truman
was elected last year without New York, that
State still has the largest number Of elec-
toral votes and in most presidential elections
they have been indispensable to victory. The
success of Mr.. Dulles this time would be the
third consecutive Democratic defeat in New
York in as many years. Inevitably this
would encourage the Republicans and de-
press the Democrats about 1850 and 1852
particularly as the line on national issues is
drawn more sharply than in any by-election
for long time.
For example, Mr.. Truman not only Is
straining himself to help Mr.. Lehman. but
MIR. Lehman, in turn, has come out strongly
for the complete Truman Fair Deal" in
Guiding such items as the radical Brannan
farm plan, the costly Federal aid for educa-
ton BILL the socialization of medicine pro-
posals, the repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act
and others. He has swallowed it all without
a gulp On the other hand Mr.. Dulles has
avoided the me. too," tactics Of so many
Republican candidates in recent years. In
stead, he opposes the whole Truman pro-
gram, which he describes as "statism.'
word which enrages liberal spokesmen even
more than welfare state" He indicts the
administration as inadequate. incompetent
and wasteful. He brands the program as
misco- ceived. misdirected damaging to the
national interests and destructive OF the
liberties of the individual.
Besides the Truman administration. be-
hind Mr. Lehman is the Liberal Party Of
New York, the CIO. the so-called Americans
1OT OeIUOcldGlC ACtlOIl, tIle DeIuOCtdtiC
ganization, Mayor ODwyer, the Roosevelt
family and the left-wing elements generally.
In addition. special effort is being made
to line up the racial and religious groups
upon which the late Mr. Roosevelt so heavily
depended. Obviously. this is formidable
| combination. Yet it was not sufficiently
strong in 1946 to prevent Gov. Lehman from
being defeated by Republican Senator Irving
Ives This time his opponent has never run
for al tive 4HE Aryon fol "a
ago to succeed Senator Wagner. Mr.. Dulles
did not want to be candidate this fall
| and said so. His draft was a real one and
| his campaign is forceful and refreshing. He
| speaks with the candor and courage of q
man who would rather lose than win at the
cost of his self-respect. His ability and
| integrity have always been conceded, but
until he began to speak there was doubt as
to his effectiveness as campaigner. There
is none now. An example is in the way he
has put Mr.. Lehman on the defensive about
| his Communist support.
Mr.. Lehman. Of course. is no Communist
| and Mr.. Dulles makes no such charge.
What he does charge is that the American
Labor Party in New York is Communist.
controlled; that this party in the past has
polled as high as 100000 votes; that the
! last time he ran Mr.. Lehman got those
votes; that this time. by making no nomi-
nation for Senate. the ALP has left its
members free to vote for Mr.. Lehman: that
they will vote for him because his Fair Deal
program, like the New Deal leads in the
direction Of economic chaos, to promote
which, is, and always will be, the chief Com
munist policy in this country. The reason
these Dulles charges are effective is that
! they are supported by the facts Mr.. Leh-
mans insistence that he does not want
Communist support is met by the assertion
that that is the old New Deal game OF
repudiating the Communists publicly and
cuddling them privately ...
| Perhaps this does Mr. Lehman an injustice,
but it is no injustice to his campaign man
ayers. Whether he wants them or not he
| is going to get those Communist votes be-
cause they are for the same things he is
| for. Years ago the Daily Worker, proclaim
| ing its New Deal support, asserted that it
| takes US toward our goal" Their goal
then, as now was collapse Of the capitalistic
| system, and it is entirely consistent for them
| to support Fair Deal" policies. On the
| surface the odds seem to favor Mr.. Lehman.
| but if Mr. Dulles can drive the facts home
he may win. The Republicans are united
| in his behalf and he has the backing Of
| Gov Dewey and his machine. Logically.
| he should also strongly appeal to thousands
of Democrats who are sick Of having their
| party run by labor bosses, dominated BY
the special groups and played for sucker
by the Communists. The question Is: Are
there enough Of these?
"A Woman Of Fortune" S. r. Crockett:
1.-THE Yarn of the Bunco Mate" Herbert
Elliot Hampden; "The knight Of the
Kings Guard" Evan Martin; "The Legion
aires" Henry Scott Clark and "The Tory
Maid Herbert Rard StimDSOn.