Evening star., 1950-08-01
The Political Mil
War in Koreo Stimulates
Party Warfare at Home
Democrats and Republicans
BusiIy Pass the Buck
By Gould Lincoln

The Democratic Congressional Com
mittee and it's ally, the CLOS PAC, are
staging propaganda drives to convince
the voters that the Republicans in Con-
greSS are responsible for the Red attack
on Korea and our involvement in war.
The butter they have to spread is mighty
thin. But they are out to spread it as
fast and as far as they can to prevent
a Democratic debacle in the coming elec-
tions. Powerful and well-f1nanced prop
aganda agencies, with enough distortion,
can sometimes be effective
Here is the nub of the Democratic
CIO argument-that Republicans in the
House in 1949 voted in large number
against $3.50 million economic aid bill
for Southern Korea. It's fact they did.
But the Democrats and the CIO do not
explain that the Republicans advocated
amending the bill so that this money
could be used for military aid for the
Korean republic-and the State Depart
ment turned thumbs down on the
amendment. The economic aid bill was
beaten by one vote on its first try in
the House-but it later became law. The
Republicans not only urged that this
money be used to build up military
strength in South Korea, but they argued
that to build Korea up economically and
leave 1t ripe for the Reds to grab was
folly-just throwing money down a rat
hole.
Minority Report on Bill.
The Republican minority report on the
Korean aid bill predicted just what has
happened in Korea. This is what it said:
1.-The flanks and frontiers of South
Korea are open to attack at any time
by the militantly hostile forces of Com
munist aggression. 1t is reported from
Seoul under date of July last G948)
that Soviet troops. attached to North
Korea puppet government armies, are
in positions of command as we'll as act
ing advisers. This development may we'll
presage the launching of a full-scale
military drive across the 38th parallel.
Unless this nation is prepared to meet
force with comparable force, economic
assistance cannot of itself insure the
safety and integrity of South Korea"
The Republican National Committee
asks pertinently: would it not have
been better to have used some of the
$3.50 million for tanks and equipment Of
our soidiers?" And it continues: What
happened to the $10,500.000 Congress
voted for military aid to Korea in a
Separate bill September %, 1949-nine
months ago? Why was only 5000 Of it
in signal equipment sent to South
Korea?"
Tough to Make Good Case.
With such record. it's going to be
mighty tough for the Democrats and
the CIO to make a case against the
COP, especially as it is widely re-
ported that the administration did not
intend to defend Korea anyway-and
only lat the eleventh hour took up the
Red challenge.
While the Democrats make this drive
against the Republication purely po-
litical reasons-there are insistent re-
ports that some of Mr.. Truman's advisers
are proposing he follow the precedent set
by the late President Franklin D. Roose-
velt in 1910 and put couple of Republic
cans in his cabinet. The names of Sena-
tor Bridges of New Hampshire, Senator
Saltonstal of Massachusetts,. Governor
Dewey of New York and President Harold
E. Stassen of the University of Pennsyl-
vania have been mentioned as possible
selectees for such a draft. Why not
Gen. Eisenhower, unless the Democrats
choose to consider him one of their
party or fear to build him up for 1852?
If Gen. Eisenhower should accept. how
ever, it might be one way of effectively
tying his hands two years hence.
At least one of these Republicans has
been approached. The belief is. however,
no such move will be made unless the
situation worsens materially or until
after the November elections.