Evening star., 1950-04-30

campaign in l94S, when he re-
tanned his Job in the White House
and elected Democratic maioritieS
in both House and Senate. But
they are promises which for the
most part have not been kept.
Federal aid to housing mas been
enacted in part. But no health
insurance, no repeal Of the Taft
Hartley Act. no civil rights leglS-
iation have been forthcoming.
The Brannan farm program has
made no progress at all, and Fed
eral aid to education has bogFed
down.
OF course, the Republicans, in
the minority IN the SlSt Congress,
could not have prevented the en-
aCtment Of the Fair Deal program
had they not had aid from the
Democrats. This the President
must gloss over as we'll as he can.
The Democratic opposition TO the
program came from tho South. In
his swing through States north OF
! the Mason and Dixon lime and the
| West, the President must center
on the election of Democrats reXt
fall. He does not have to worry
about the South-which never
elects observation-disclosures he
may hope that he will get some
new legislators more friendly to
his Fair Deal proposals. But he
must have Democrats from North
ern and Western States. where
Republicans usually have at least
chance to win This time, the
election of a Democratic Congress
in the middle of the presidential
term may be OF tremendous i'm
portance if Mr.. Truman is to try
for another four years as Chief
Executive. in 1852. He was able
to suffer the check of Republican
congressional victory in 1916, and
come back in l948. But it's not
the kind of thing easy TO duplicate.
Particularly difficult would this
become should there be falling
of in business and employment.
and lower farm prices, during the
next year or two.
Mr.. Truman Is not pausing In
Missouri, his own home State. on
this trip, although he has mixed
into the fight there over the Dem
ocratic senatorial nomination.
His candidate is Emery W. Alli-
son of Rolla, in the foothills OF
the Ozarks. president pro tempore
of the State Senate. A segment
lof the st. Louis Democratic Or
ganization is backing Thomas c.
Hennings. While the President IL
expected to win this contest. II
may be that the row in the Dem
ocratic Party will give victory to
Republican Senator Donnell, In
the fall election. 1t would be the
same result, on q Statewide pat
tern, that occurred when the Presi-
dent in 1916 undertook to purge
former Representative Slaughter.
Democrat. in a Kansas City dis
trict. He purged Slaughter all
right with some dirty election
frauds taking place. but the Pres
idents candidate later lost to a
Republican.
Time Enough Later
The Missouri primary does not
take place until August l. The
President, therefore. will have
plenty Of time to get into the Sen
ate primary fight there. He may
make another swing to the Pacific
Coast, with California as his des-
tination. Although he enters Ore
gon and Washington on his forth
coming triple misses California.
Originally, it was thought the
President planned it that way be-
cause of the contest between Sena-
tor Downey and Representative
Helen Gahagan Douglas for the
Democratic Senatorial nomina-
tion-and perhaps because he did
not cotton to the nomination OF
James Roosevelt, son OF the late
President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
for Governor. Downey has drop
ped out of the race. however, and
thrown his support TO Manchester
Boldly, publisher of the Los An
geles Daily News. Although the
President has kept hands of the
primary fight in California. and
will continue to do so, it is pre-
sumed that victory by Mrs.
Douglas would be pleasing because
Of her support of the Truman pro-
gram. The real test, however. in
the Truman view is: Can she
VIM" A Republican victory in
California would hurt. since it
would give a Democratic Senate
seat to the Republicans.
The President will have oppor-
tunity to put in some good licks
for two important Democratic
leaders in the Senate, during the
trip, Senator Lucas Of Illinois.
floor leader, and Senator Myers
of Pennsylvania, Democratic whip
and assistant leader. Both these
Democrats face tough fights in
important States. Senator Lucas,
already renominated, will be OPP
posed by former Representative
William Mckinley Dirksen, Re-
publican, and Senator Myers who
has no opposition for renomina-
ton, will run against Gov.
Duff or Representative John c.
Kunkel, who has the backing for
former Senator Grundy.
The President is particularly in
terested in selling the Brannan
farm program to the farmers Of
the Middle West and West. 1t was
these farmers who saved his
bacon in the l948 campaign. They
have usually been Republican,
but in that year Mr.. Truman ar
gued that. If the Republicans
came in. the prices OF farm prod
ucts would drop-because Of the