Evening star., 1950-11-26

tive to pull together and to make
a good record. They have been
tremendously encouraged by their
victories which leave them just
short Of control in the Senate and
on more even terms with the Dem
ocrats in the House. They look
upon the 1850 elections as a cur
tain raiser for the presidential
campaign and victory in 1852.
There seems no disposition on
their part at this writing to kick
the G. o. P. to pieces in the
one place where it must make its
record during the next two years.
Labor Law Outlook
Senator Taft has been the Re-
publican leader in the Senate
and, indeed. his thinking has pre-
vailed in large measure in the
House-on domestic issues. And
on these issues there has been in
the past distinct cleavage among
Republicans. The Aikeps. the
Ives. the Tobeys. the Lodges and
the Morses. for example. have not
agreed in a number of instances
with the Taft leadership. Yet
Mr.. Taft's own position on many
of these domestic issues has been
as progressive as ar.y--for exam
pie, on housing and Federal aid
to education. aid to health and
civil rights. There need be no
severe intraparty rows over these
issues in the new Congress. Some
of the progressive Republicans
have not seen eye to eye with
Senator Taft on labor legislation,
and have sought more drastic
modification of the Taft-Hartley
labor law than Mr.. Taft was will
ing to accept. It Is clear. how
ever, that MIR. Taft is now pro-
posing to amend the act which
bears his name in some impor-
tant particulars. and that he will
have support of his former Re-
publican opponents in such a
move. Indeed. the proper amend
ment Of the Taft-Hartley Act Of
fers the Republicans a real issue
in the coming Congress, and If
the Democratic administration
and Mr.. Truman oppose such
amendment the G. o. 2. may make
hay.
Following the 194s elections. so
disastrous to Republican hopes,
there was an immediate demand
| for new faces" In leadership in
the Republican organization. par
ticularly in the Senate. Senator
Lodge of Massachusetts, was the
candidate Of the so-called Young
Turks among Senate Republicans
for Senator Taft's job as chair
man of the Republican Policy
Committee. Senator Taft pre-
vailed. however. Senator Lodge re-
ceiving only dozen votes. In the
light of Senator Taft's re-elec-
ton by a huge vote, and in the
light of Republican revived hopes,
it seems unlikely there will be
any attempt to displace Mr.. Taft
from the chairmanship of that
committee. Nor will there be a
disposition to substitute others for
Senator Millikin Of Colorado as
chairman of the Republican Con-
ference of the Senate, or for Sen
ator Wherry of Nebraska. Repub-
lican floor leader.
But while the Republicans will
acQuiesce in the retention of their
present leadership In Senate and
House. the progressive wing will
not agree to reactionary pro-
gram. If any such program should
be attempted. the fat will be in
the fire. AS one Senator from an
important state said. when ques-
toned about this: IF the Re-
publicans in Congress ever go re-
dictionary. it's good-by Republican
Party" He added that if the
G. O. p. should succeed in electing
President IN 1852 on a reaction
airy platform, it would be the last
President the party would have.
Just as the Taft-Millikin- -Wher-
ry and Vandenberg leadership Is
expected to prevail in the new
Senate, so Representative Martin
of Massachusetts, and Representa-
tive Arends of Illinois are expected
to continue as minority leader and
whip of the House.
/ Where They Are Solid
On one problem-and that a
major one-the need for cutting
Government expenditures to the
bone and at the same time raising
taxes to meet the new necessity
for increased national defense
the Republicans may be expected
i. generally to stand together. With
few exceptions they will stand
solidly IN opposition to the Tru-
man Fair Deal proposals, such as
7 the Brannan farm program and
/ compulsory health insurance, and
5 to other new and costly projects.
5 And certainly they will stand to-
: gether' against the administra-
. tion's desire to repeal the Taft
, Hartley Act and return to the
Wagner Labor Relations Act.
Also. the Republicans will stick
, together on the question of fur
, ther investigation into un-Ameri-
can activities in this country
, and especially in the Government
service and the State Department.
They made capital in the last
election over their charges that
!, the administration had CLOSED
over the activities of Communists
and fellow travellers in this coun-
try-and in the Government.
It is apparent, therefore. there
are many questions and issues on
which the G.. o. P. in Congress can
hang together-and those on
which 1t may split are not numer-
Gus, and probably not of too great
i,,. 10 x,,.11,iLaL