Evening star., 1950-05-11
The Political Mill
The Political Min
Bitter Criticism Marks
Stort Of so Compuion
Stussen's Attuck on Trumon
Just q Curtuin Roiser
By Gould LincoIs

When President Harold L. StaSSen OF
the University OF Pennsylvania, in re-
cent speech. called President Truman
"the worst President" and went on 10
give his onS-adminiStration leaders
in Washington were apoplectic. Take
the case Of Senator Lucas Of Illinois. the
Democratic leader OF the Senate. He
used up an hour or two Of the Senates
time. trying to keep the StaSSen speech
from being published in the Congress
sional Record-and only gave in when it
became apparent there was nothing in
the Senate rules which prevents criticism
OF President of the United States-no
matter how Severe-from being in order
in the Senate,
The Stassen attack on Mr.. Truman.
however. was just curtain raiser. Re-
publican Senators day after day are
criticizing the record Of Mr.. Truman
and particularly are they singing out
Mr.. Trumans early association with the
PendergaSt machine in Kansas City. and
the failure of the Department of Justice
to step in and deal with vote fraud cases
in Missouri
StaSsen's Description.
Mr.. Stassen himself described Mr., Tru-
man as the cleverest politician ever TO
occupy the White House"-and he con-
tinued-"He (Mr. Truman) Is q post
graduate of the most effective political
school in America-the PendergaSt
School Of Kansas City. The tragedy
for America is that the same school
which made Truman such q clever poll
tician also made him such q bad PreSi-
dent. This is true because 1t Is Q school
whose graduates are lacking in . sense
of idealiSm and who minimize the i'm
portance of honesty and integrity. =
The administrations lack of apprecia-
ton Of the Importance of honesty and
integrity Is shown in the fragrant as
sociation Of the President with men like
Ed Pauley. who made a million dollars
in specializing as an insider upon the
food Of the Nation, and John Maragon.
who accepted funds from perfume
company while offlcially representing and
being paid by the United States Govern
ment in Greece"
This Is bitter comment-but 1t Is no
more severe than Is that Of Senator
Ferguson of Michigan and Senator KEN
of Missouri. both Republicans-made on
the floor of the Senate. These gentle
men wanted to know, for example. why
Mr.. Truman had not included his home
State Of Missouri on his present swing
West to report to the people" assert
ing that he stayed out Of Missouri and
Kansas City where there have been new
murders and scandals involving the un-
derworld and politicians to avoid em-
barrassment.
The Republican strategy has become
one of attack. with Mr.. Truman as Its
principal target-no matter how per-
Sonal the attack The President. in q
measure, may blame himself. He has
been over active with name calling. He
also set out on a Western tour with q lot
Of hot words to say about the Republi-
cans and greedy interests" The 1850
campaign Is on-and 1t will be . hot
one.
Started by Truman.
II a Democratic President may call
Republican Congress "the worst" or the
second worst" in history. there seems
no reason why a Republican may not
call a Democratic President the worst
ever to sit in the White House"-and
back 1t up with argument. Certainly.
Mr.. Truman started that kind Of
fracas two years ago-and the Republi-
cans did not answer back. 1t, appar-
emily, is going to be different from now
on.
Senator Lucas comment on Mr.. Stas-
sen and his speech was scarcely an an
swer. He said that Mr.. Stassen Is per-
petual candidate for the presidency-and
that after all, nobody pays any attention
to Mr.. Stassen.
Senator Ferguson, picking up Presi.
dent Truman's Wyoming speech In
which he said that the philosophy Of
greed and privilege which produced the
Teapot Dome oil scandal In the Ad-
ministrations of Harding and Coolidge 10
not dead land Is still Republican,. /.
pointed out that President Coolidge had
ordered the files Of the Justice Depart.
ment turned over to Senate investiga-
tors-in contrast to the cover-up atti-
tude of Mr. Truman when he has been
asked to give Government files to con-
gressional investigators. The Michigan
Senator sharply charged that Mr.. Tru-
man, who is now reporting to the peo-
ple," II he had wanted to give all the
picture "could have taken q few Of the
Executive branch files with him and
from the rear of the train he could have
advised the people in detail as to what
is actually going on"
There is growing feeling in the coun-
try that it is not being given all the
facts-but is being fed q lot Of sugar.
coated pills.