Evening star., 1949-02-10
Dewey Won First Round
In Fight With Old Guard
Mixed Reactions Follow Speech Here
Denouncing Ultra.C conservatives
Bv Gould Lincoln


When Gov. Thomas E. Dewey of New
York takes the offensive-watch out. He
came to Washington to deliver a Lincoln
Day speech. a twice-defeated Republican
candidate for President, target of bitter
denunciation by Republicans who insisted
he had muffed the ball in last falls cam
paign. These denunciations reached
crescendo at the recent Omaha meeting Of
the Republican National Committee. Gov.
Dewey in his speech here made no apology.
He stepped out as a leader-to lead the
party along the road of progress.
Chief among Gov. Dewey's Republican
critics have been members of the conServa-
tive Old Guard They never liked Gov.
Dewey anyway and came around to his
support only when compelled to- and only
because they believed he would be at least
an efficient administrator. Since the re-
cent election they have undertaken to tag
Gov. Dewey as a me, too" candidate aping
the New Deal. In his speech here Gov.
Dewey said there was little place in the
Republican Party for those who wished to
turn the clock back to the 1920s or earlier,
and ne said emphatically he could be pro.
gressive without being "me tooer.'
Speculation on Plans.
Instead of giving any impression that he
was retiring from politics, the New York
Governor showed he intends to remain
firmly in the game. In consequence, many
Republicans are specializing today about
Gov. DeWey's personal plans for the future.
Emphatically he is not candidate for elec-
ton to any office-at present. This does
not mean, however, he may not be candi-
date next year or three years hence. Ger.
tainly he is not saying he will not be q
candidate for reelection as Governor of
New York, or that he will or will not be
candidate for the United States Senate next
year He understands quite we'll that any
such announcement might reduce immedi-
ately his influence with the State Legislature
and the chances of getting his legislative
program enacted into law.
Gov. Dewey is young man-46-and he
looks still younger and is in fine health.
There are too few young men and women
in the Republican Party. as 1t stands. Those
who know him best say it is unthinkable
that he will abandon politics. even should
he give up running for public Office and.
as an alternative, go back to the private
practice of law. For nearly a score of
years Mr.. Dewey has been in public office
or running for office. In those 20 years he
could have amassed comfortable fortune
in the practice of law-with the tremen-
dous reputation he made as special assist
ant United States attorney and district
attorney, when he became the nemesis of
racketeers and other criminals and shady
politicians Undoubtedly he has a hanker-
ing to seek his place as leader of the bar.
It may be his decision a year from now.
In the meantime he has a lot of people
guessing. He has had as many political
lives almost as the proverbial cat has lives.
At this time in 1945 he seemed as politi-
cally dead as his critics claim he is today.
Out to Force Fighting.
lAI "a
force the fighting-with those who would
taking the lead-as he Is now attempting
in bringing the Republican Party around
to be the progressive party it was in the
days Of Lincoln-a peoples party-he will
be back In the ring in big way. There
are others who have looked forward to
assuming such leadership to mention a
few, Harold E. Stassen, president of the
University Of Pennsylvania; any Number OF
Senators, among them Lodge of Massachu-
setts, Baldwin of Connecticut and Ives Of
New York.
The ultraconservatives took licking at
the recent meeting Of the Republican Ma
tional Committeeman in taking that lick
ing gave 1t the appearance OF Dewey
victory, simply because they made Gov.
Dewey a major target in their effort to un-
seat Representative Scott Of Pennsylvania
Gov. Deweys selection for the national
craftsmanship after his 1948 nomination for
President. So the first round went to those
who think as Gov Dewey does
Gov Deweys speech here brought mixed
reactions. 1t was bitterly criticized by those
who wish to keep the party conservative and
to sink Mr.. Dewey and received encomiumS
from the more progressive. The fight is
now on and it may-to borrow a phrase
from Senator Margaret c. Smith of Maine
continue to be very uncivl war"