Evening star., 1950-12-03
Republicans No Longer
Want Acheson Out
But Writer Sees Secretary
Deserted by Friends
By Fronk R. Kent

The furious controversy that for weeks
has ragged around the stately form Of
Secretary Of State Dean Acheson has
developed some new phases since
Congress met last Monday. Some of
these are puzzling and contradictory.
For one thing, the really appalling news
from Korea $50 bad as to make almost
everything else seem insignihcant) has
modified the intense personal hostility
OF some OF his most savage Republican
enemies. When Senator Wherry Of
Nebraska urges unity and q cessation
OF partisan attack. 1t will be agreed the
situation is critical indeed.
The demand for Mr.. Acheson's reSiR-
nation is no longer as insistently made
by the Republicans. Partly this is due
to the patriotic impulse to present q
united front on foreign affairs in q
time Of acute national danger. But,
partly. too, 1t is due to political con-
siderations For example, there are those
who contend the Republicans will be
better off in 1852 with Mr. Acheson In
than with Mr.. AcheSon out.
Firmly believing this, an effort Is now
reported to change the Republican
strategy. Instead Of centering solely on
Mr.. Acheson as the target, the suggestion
Is that they concentrate more on Mr..
Truman as the man really responsible
for foreign policy. In brief, without
abandoning Mr.. Acheson as the whipping
boy, they want to link him more closely
with Mr.. Truman, thus holding their
position Of opposition and at the same
time retaining Mr.. Acheson as an issue.
This, Of course, Is 30 subtle and un-
worthy that 1t easily may prove politi-
cally Impossible. Certainly, 1t will bs
difficult to reconcile with the wherry
urge for unity. However. there Is no
doubt that 1t is considered and dis
cussed. At any rate. for one reason or
another the violence of the Republican
demand for Mr.. Acheson's head has
diminished.
It Is interesting that this Republican
change toward Mr.. Acheson Is coinci-
dent with what almost amounts to Q
demand for his resignation from his
friends. These give two reasons. One is
that Mr.. Acheson's inability to get along
with Congress Is 30 complete that 30 long
as he remains in Office Congress will not
grant the extremely vital requests which,
because Of the war, the President now
must make. Failure to support him in
this respect will imperil the survival
Of the nation" Hence, Mr.. Acheson
must give way to some man like John
McCloy or Paul Hoffman or Averen
Hartman. The other is that Democrats
in the White House inner circle. sup
posedly friendly to Mr.. Acheson, are
now telling Mr.. Truman that not only
can he get no cooperation from Con-
gress SO long as Mr. Acheson is In his .
cabinet but the Democratic party can
not possibly. win If he stays.
Privately. these friends deny they
have thrown up the sponge" or weak
ened in their belief in his high character
and great ability. They insist they
simply are facing the practical realities
and that "in the national interest" Mr..
AcheSon must CO." The question now
is how much this movement toward the
announced goal of the Acheson enemies
by his avowed friend will affect the
President and his greatly harried Sec
retary Of State. Mr.. Acheson emphati-
cally has asserted he will not quit and
Mr.. Truman has as emphatically denied
that he will ask him to do so.
That would appear pretty decisive
except for the fact that MIR. Truman
has talked that way before and then,
under pressure and for expediency's
sake, reversed his position. There is,
for example. the case Of Louis johnson.