Evening star., 1950-01-01
Presidential Message As
Interpreted in Advance
Writer Forecasts Insincere Document
Intended to Hold Group Votes

Writer Forecasts Insincere Document
Intended to Hold Group Votes
By Frank r. Kent
Sometimes the ardent praise of a Presi-
dents friends constitutes more deadly
indictment than any his enemies can frame.
An interesting instance of this is afforded IN
the explanation of the Legislative strategy"
fashioned by his intimate advisers, which Mr..
Truman brought back with him from Key
West and which is expected to become the
party line in the session of Congress about
to open.
According to those who reliably reflect the
views of the White House insiders" this
strategy proves that though he may not
always seem so, Mr.. Truman really Is an
extremely clever man and is just about to tie
the "rigidly stupid" Republicans in a knot
they will be unable to unite in time to put
up even respectable fight in 1850 In this
advisory group there is considerable self
adulation and congratulation over the
smartnesS of the presidential program Ap-
parently there is no appreciation that it, if
1t has been correctly described makes Mr..
Truman appear hypocritical and unprin-
clpled man who calculatingly plans par
ticularly low species of deception upon the
American people.
Yet, that is precisely what it does and the
aforesaid journalistic reflectors, though they
may not themselves see it, make no effort to
disguise the fact. Here is the strategy"
as they somewhat shamelessly present it:
The purpose of the President at this session
is to present himself as the fighting cham
plon OF the three great voting groupS-or-
ganized labor, the farmers and the Negroes.
At the same time, the stupid Republicans
are to be made to seem the enemies of these
groups, which then are expected to show
their gratitude to the Democrats at the polls.
But all this is to be accomplished without
the passage of any helpful legislation what
ever for these groups before the election.
True, in his soon-to-b be- delivered state Of
the Union message the President will
strongly insist again upon repeal of the
Taft-Hartley Act. the enactment of his So
called civil rights program and the passage
OF the Brannan farm bill the cost of which
even its author has not been able to estimate.
These are the three pieces of legislation
which Mr.. Truman will demand in his mes
sage. But, say those who framed this
strategy" and are, curiously enough. proud
OF it. not one of these measures will be passed.
Nothing wrote one of the more outspoken
OF the Fair Deal commentators, could more
upset the White House than for the law
makers to bow to the Presidents expressed
mand" will be wholly insincere if these
commentators are correct. The presidential
recommendations will be frauds. The whole
idea is to beat the drums for these three
pieces OF legislation, to put up grand show
in thier favor but in all three cases refrain
from putting enough administration weight
behind any one of them to permit it's passage
Success in this scheme, 1t is pointed out, will
not only preserve all three as live issues for
n11tx ia fta 1r,.,,
man administration to- blame failure Of its
phony program upon the Republicans and
Dixiecrats, whom they will indict as enemies
OF organized labor. the farmers and the
Negroes.
There are several things to be said about
this strategy" One, of course is that,
accepting the printed explanations of those
who favor and framed it, it is one of the most
br'azen pieces of political skulduggery ever
known in cur politics. Another is that it is
entirely typical ofs the political advisers by
Whom Mr.. Truman is surrounded. Most OF
these are decent men in their personal lives,
but in politics appear to have no sense Of
right or wrong and are willing to form any
combination, make any alliance and practice
any deceit to win an election. The thought
OF how their political plans will affect the
country is so completely secondary as not to
be considered at ALL Every legislative pro-
posal, every White House recommendation
IS rooted in politics. Every move is made
with the view of holding organized labor.
the farmers and the Negroes-the three
bought groups upon whose support Mr..
Roosevelt three times was elected and which
the Truman effort is to see stay bought
His advisers are not consciously wicked
Their Journalistic spokesmen ought to know
better but the White House political strate-
gists do not This is the way they were
porn, bred and trained. The question is. can
tney get away with it this time? The strategy
OF course, is based on the belief that the
great mass of the people are credulous dupes
IL is an insult to the intelligence of every
decent citizen and certainly ought to be re.
sented by the three groups with which thev
are playing. But the Fair Deal, like tlhe
New Deal has immensely superior propa.
ganda agencies. It also has a tremendous
bureaucratic political machine Also it has
great zeal OF money. And, it is true. the
spnt Republicans help by their stupidity
nevertheless. it is revolving piece of hocus-
pocus and not the least offensive phase of it
VIII ne the extreme smugness of it's advocates
ana the unctuous and noble sentiments which
Will pour out from administration spokesmen
in its favor. o'1'''''''
ments had been made for the interment Of