Evening star., 1950-09-27
Korea, Communism
As Campaign Issues
Worry Democrats
Victory Before Election
Won't Halt Criticism
OF FuuIts in Defense
Bv David Lawrence

VT fQultS IN OeTenSe
By David Laurence
Two campaign issues are trou-
bling the Democrats. One Is
Korea and the other is anti-com-
munism.
If, by election time. the North
Koreans have been completely de-
feated on the battlefield, Demo-
Gratis who are up for reelection
in Congress this autumn will feel
that the criticism of the faults in
the administrations defense set
up will lose political effectiveness
The Republicans, of course, will
argue that the victory over the
North Koreans proves the admin
istration's failures-how the whole
episode might have been pre-
vented if substantial units OF
Marines, Navy. Air Forces and
ground troops had been on guard
in the Far East and II the admin
istration had not publicly an
nounced last January that Korea
was not within our defense perrin
eter.
There are other delicate prob
lens that can arise between now
and election day. If, for instance,
the Allied forces are not permitted
to 20 beyond the 38th parallel to
disarm the government which has
committed the aggression, the Re-
publicans will certainly make cap
ital out of that policy. The. North
Korean troops have commltteo
many atrocities. Unless the per-
sons responsible for these crimes
are handed over for trial as war
criminals, the Republicans Will
have more to say about any policy
of stagnation at the 38th parallel.
Victory Won't Close Issue.
The probabilities are, Of course.
that the American Government
will rely on the United Nations to
decide some of these issues, but
the position taken by the State
Department in instructing its am
hassador on these various points
will be scrutinized carefully dur
ing the campaign. So Korea as a
political issue will not be ter
minated merely by the military
victory that seems in the ofting.
The attitude of the United
States toward the admission OF
Communist China is closely re-
lated to the Korean question. II
the American Government doesn't
block entry of the Communists
into the Security Council and even
use its veto to accomplish it, there
will be plenty of criticism from
the Republican side.
The really troublesome issue. IN
terms of votes, is the anti-Com-
munist controversy that has ragged
inside America ever since Whit
taker Chambers accused Alger
Hiss of passing out papers OF the
State Department. The issue mas
been accentuated by the Amer
asia case and by the charges made
in the Senate by Senator McCar-
thy of Wisconsin.
In Maryland this issue will come
to a head in the fight against
Senator Tydings, Democrat, who
won, by a 3-to-1 vote, the recent
Democratic primary over an OPP
ponent who had accused him OF
trying to "whitewash" by his COM
mittee report the charges about
Communists in the State Depart
ment. The opposition vote in the
primary was not large in itself
but, if it be assumed that these
votes will be added to the Repuo-
lican nominees strength, then
the election will be close indeed.
What Puzzles Observers.
What is puzzling observers is
that in the same Democratic pri-
mary, 100000 Democrats VINO
voted for governor did not vote
for any of the three senatorial
candidates.
The Communist issue through
out the country is stronger than
the Democratic chieftains here
have been willing to believe. It'll
was strong enough to force nearly
all the Democrats in both houses
of Congress to vote to override
the Presidents veto Of the Com
munist-control bill.
Incidentally, the veto didn't do
Mr.. Truman any good politically
and hence it is being called an
act of courage. The courage would
have been of more value earlier
in the controversy. The truth is
the veto would have been sus-
tanned if the administration had
not created so much distrust by
its clumsy handling of the charges
about Communists in the Govern
ment. The Tydings report is a
liability to the Democrats, and it
could easily have been one OF the
assets of the Democratic Party |
in this campaign.
The whole subject of anti-com-
munism has been enveloped in
hysteria, but the reason for this
is the ineptitude of those who
have not been willing to let thor
ough investigations be made. The
anti-administration sentiment in
the country today on this issue is
not based so much on a belief that
men in high places have been or
are disloyal but that they have
allowed believers in the Commu-
mist philosophy to influence i'm
portant Government policies. It's
a hard thing to prove or disprove
on the stump, and that's why
foi1I1ro RI rnonf ohorOoc 0f this |