Evening star., 1949-11-26
Senator DonneII Called
Strongest Republican
In Truman Home State
Known as Vote-Getter
Despite Reluctant
Organization Support
By Dorothy Thompson

ST. LOUIS. Mo.-Probably no
where else in the country was the
New York campaign for the Sem
ate watched with more interest
than by Republicans in the Presi-'
dents home State of Missouri,
which, in the last general election,
went heavily for Mr.. Truman. To-
day, the Republicans only strong
candidate is Senator Forrest C..
Donnell, who will be up for re-
election in 1851.
1t will be worth watching Sem
ator Donnell. He is an extraordi-
nary vote getter for no obvious
reason. He first came into poll
tics when the Republicans were
challenging the Pendergast ma
chine and won on wave Of public
revulsion. Then he quickly be-
came unpopular with the Republi-
can organization by ignoring its
instructions. To this day. he has
only reluctant organization sup
port. When polls are taken in the
various districts, among official
Republican leaders, they usually
fail to report any sizable following
for him. But election day shows
otherwise.
Hard Working Campaigner.
He is strong churchman with
q reputation for scrupulous hon.
esty and fairness, and his nature
is trusting-say his critics-to the
point of gullibility. He once re-
buked a follower who called his
opponent, Larry Mcdaniel,
scamp. THAT is not true" he
said earnestly. Larry Mcdaniel
is a very good man"
He is not a Snowman or public
ity hound, but a hard-working
personal campaigner, who goes into
every community with sound
trucks and talks. He has already
opened his campaign for 1851 and
the Democrats have not picked
an opponent. They even consider
running Air Secretary w. Stuart
Symington, or the Presidents aid,
Clark Clifford, both Missourians.
AS with Senator Taft in Ohio,
Senator Donnell is bitterly opposed
by organized labor, which brands
him (for his support of the Taft
Hartley Act) Enemy No. But
his supporters believe he will hold
his grass-roots following nonethe-
less.
Bricker Still Interested.
Speculation that if Senator Taft
wins the senatorial race in Ohio,
he will be the obvious Republican
presidential candidate in 1852, is
not helping him with part of the
Midwestern Republican organiza-
ton. Former Gov. John w.
Bricker. reelected to the Senate
In 1916, is still interested in the
presidency and has supporters in
Missouri and elsewhere. and so
has Harold Stassen. And just as
the Democrats, in 1948. looked to
General Eisenhower as the only
candidate who could conceivably
defeat Republican-so sure were
they that President Truman could
not-so today many Republicans
are also looking to the general
as the only man who could defeat
Mr.. Truman!
One wonders why, in the Taft
campaign, the Senator's brother
and law partner, Charles, who has
made public avowal of support for
his brother, is not called upon.
Apparently Clarence J. Brown,
the Ohio Congressman who
handles Senator Taft's campaign,
doesn't get on well with Charlie
Taft, who is anathema to diehards
in general. He has a reputation as
a liberal, enormous charm, and
great appeal to independent vot-
ers and young Republicans who
claim that the machine has neu-
tralized him.
: In general the Republican Or
ganization in the Presidents
home State is in the doldrums.
suffering from internal splits and
in no agreement on a presidential
candidate for 1852.
released by the Bell Syndicate, 1nc.)