Evening star., 1950-03-01
6. 0. P. Seen Missino
Good Political Issue
In Coal Strike Crisis
Leaders Hove FuiIed to
Make Single Speech in
Either Senute or House

Make Single Speech in
Either Senute or House
By David Laurence
Either the Republican high
command is losing its political
perspicacity and doesn't know a
good political issue when it sees
one-as, for example, the coal
crisis-or else it is sorely strained
for political ammunition in al
lowing reports to be broadcast
that the Republican party is plan
ming to use the Communist issue
for an attack on the Democratic
candidates in the coming congress
sional campaign.
In the first place, in order for
1t to be effective, not, only must
the Presidents completely with
communistic inf1ltration be proved
but the responsibility of each
Democratic candidate for the
same laxity must be established
Nor is 1t logical to assume that
many votes will be made for the
Republicans by citing Secretary
Acheson's statement of his friend
ship for Alger Hiss. For this tends
to undermine the prestige of the
Secretary of State at time when
he should be moving in the direc-
tion of a betterment of Russian
American relations. Yet some
moves of this kind ought to be
made now to allay the fears OF
war that are sweeping the nation
The Republican party surely ism I
going to line up on the side OF
inevitable war with Russia and
increase the peoples jitters on
atomic-bomb developments.
Democrats Weak on Issue.
The Democrats are weak in
their rejoinders on the Communist
issue. Senator Scott Lucas of Illi-
nois, Democratic majority leader
for instance, indicated recently
that he wasn't going to defend
Secretary Acheson.against attacks
This isn't a sign of team play
among the Democrats.
But If the Democrats are houn-
dering on the defense, the Repub-
licans are even weaker on the Of
tense. AS an opposition party
they seem to have concentrated
on issues that are abstract and
they have muffed the ball on the
biggest issues Of the hour.
Thus. with the Nation suffering
from strikes and work stoppages
with schools closing and public
utilities lacking coal, and with
cities proclaiming "brownouts, y
there hasn't been a single major
speech made by any Republican
leader in either house laying the
responsibility upon the Demo-
cratic leadership in a Congress
which refuses to permit proposed
changes in the abor-n1anagement
laws even to come to a vote.
One would think that industry
wide bargaining. which involves
monopolistic power by economic
groups. would come in for sus-
tanned Republican attacks in these
critical days of coal shortage. But
1t happens to be a.. Democrat
Senator Willis A. Robertson, the
able Senator from Virginia-who
is leading the fight for anti
monopolistic legislation covering
national unions. -.....-.......
senssd by Churchill. a7's
As for the peace issue. Winston
Churchill In the recent British
campaign sensed the powerful ma
tional sentiment favoring further
efforts to adjust relations with
Russia. The Republicans have
been missing a similar chance in
this country and. again, whatever
leadership there has been on that
issue has come from Senators Nc
Mahon Of Connecticut and Tyd-
ings Of Maryland-both Demo-
Gratis.
The Federal deficit Is a danger
Gus sword that hangs over the
national economy. There can be
no economic stability or sound
currency without pruning OF
Federal expenses. and yet the Re-
publicans are asleep at the switch
on this issue. too. Maybe they
think the charges and innuendoes
about communism are more spec
tacular for the headlines. But II
they'll 60 back to the newspaper
f1les Of the Dulles-Lehman sena-
terial campaign Of 1949 and the
Dewey speeches of 1948, they will
find that the counter-attack on
the "red herring" stuff didn't get
very far.
1t is difficult to prove that
Democratic candidates for office
are not as good Americans and as
loyal as Republicans. There is far
more to the cry Of socialism In
the Democratic party's program
and behavior as the logical fore
runner Of a communistic state
but the Republicans haven't
sensed that correlation of is
sues either.
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