Evening star., 1950-06-17
The Political Mill
Connecticut COP. Pins
Election Hopes on Lodge
Could Help Porty TO Win
Two U. S. Senute Scots
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

BY Gould Lincoln
Connecticut Republicans have put their
eggs in the basket Of youthful John Davis
Lodge-their candidate for Governor
and hope he will carry them safely. To
them 1t is OF great importance that the
COP regain control Of the State house
in Hartford. 1t is of Importance to Re-
publicanS outside of Connecticut that
Mr.. Lodge should win, too. AS head Of
the party ticket. he win have the oppor-
tunity Of carrying along two Republican
candidates for the United States Senate.
These candidates are former Represent
atlves Joseph E. Talbot, a lawyer who
knows his way around in the political
field and is member Of the Catholic
Church. and Prescott S. Bush. a partner
IN the New York Arm Of which Averell
Hartman, Ambassador at Large and for
mer Secretary of Commerce. was q mem
Der, and trustee Of Yale University.
This is Mr.. BushS firSt real foray into
politics.
What the Republicans hope is that
Mr. Lodge will run strongly enough to
defeat the versatile Gov. Chester
Bowles, and carry along with him to VIC
tory Mr.. Talbot, who will oppose Senator
Mcmahon for a Six-year Senate term,
and Mr.. Bush. who is seeking a two
year term against Senator Benton. II
Mr. Lodge succeeds, 1t will be no small
feat and remarkable step up the po-
litical ladder in few short years, Until
he was nominated for his present seat in
the House Of Representatives in 1916.
Mr.. Lodge had displayed no particular
interest in politics. That year he won
the place in the House from which Mrs.
Clare Booth Luce was retiring-the Re-
publican glamor girl.
Politics Runs in Veins.
However. it is not unnatural that poll
tics and public service should run in
the veins of Mr.. Lodge, who is a grand
son of the late Senator Henry Cabot
Lodge. for many years a dominant figure
in Massachusetts politics as well as in
the Senate. and is a brother Of Senator
Henry Cabot Lodge. jr.. also Of MaSsa-
chusetts. AS a younger member Of the
House, Mr.. Lodge has made good. He
was reelected in 1912 and could have
been renominated and reelected this
year.
Mr.. Lodges experience has been va
ried. A graduate of Harvard and of the
Ecole de Droit in Paris he has been q
practicing lawyer Tin q New York firm).
uCtOi IA 31OAAyWOOus OLl pIOduWhy hIlu
in London. France and Italy, an offlcer
in the U. s. Navy during the last war.
and a member of Congress. He is an
attractive figure and good speaker He
has promised an all-out, hard-hitting
campaign against Governor Bowles. An
accomplished linguiSt. he is able to cam
paign among racial groups like the
Americans Of Italian. French and Polish
blood and to speak to them In their own
Languages. very considerable advantage
in Connecticut where these groups are
large and politically strong.
1t seems clear that Governor Bowles,
an adroit and plausible gentleman whose
ambitions seem to point toward the
White House, will attack Mr.. Lodge along
two lines. The first that Mr.. Lodge is q
"carpetbagger er"-Since he has lived in
Connecticut very little, and second that
Mr. Lodge knows nothing about the State
government Of Connecticut. Mr.. Lodge
bought home in WeStport in the early
forties. but soon left to enter the Navy,
and almost as soon as he returned to
civilian life. he was elected to Congress
and has spent most Of his time in WASH
ington. Mr.. Lodges reply to Mr.. BowleS
may well be that the Governor himself
knew little about the State government
VI NOuIlcCGlCuJ DeIOTe ne was eleCCeQ 70
that office-for outside of being head Of
OPA in Washington, Mr.. Bowles had lit
tie political and official experience be-
fore he entered the capitol at Hartford.
Gives Party New Look.
Mr.. Lodge decidedly gives the COP
in Connecticut q new look and an ap-
peal to the younger voters. Catapulted
into politics, he has learned fast He Is
strong with the women voters-and
women in Connecticut really take poll
tics seriously and get out and vote. In
the State convention which nominated
Mr.. Lodge on Thursday, there were an
many women delegates as men. In ad-
dition Mr.. Lodge has a beautiful wife
who was Francesca Bragieotti, Italian
born actress and dancer. They have
two daughters. Mrs. Lodge has been q
decided asset to her husband In his cam
paigning for election.
The Bowles, Mcmahon and Benton
Democratic ticket will be nominated at
Democratic State convention July 2o-
80. 1t Is no secret that they intend to
conduct vigorous campaign. They are
not taking any chances that the youth
full Mr.. Lodge may upset their applicant.
Governor Bowles will seek to place Mr.,
Lodge on the defensive from the start.
Whether Mr.. Lodge will fall In with
the idea is another question.