Evening star., 1950-11-14
The Political Mil
Taft Seen as Latest
Reluctant Republican
Refusal to Compoign Leaves
Way Open for Draft
The Political Mil
By Gould Lincoln

Senator Robert A. Taft Of Ohio, who
has just won victory so overwhelm-
ing in his home State that Republicans
all over the country are predicting his
nomination for President in 1852, Is the
latest of the reluctant Republicans"
Reluctant to declare themselves candi-
dates for their party's nomination for
Chief Executive two years hence. Gov.
Dewey of New York has said fatty he is
not and will not be a candidate for q
third presidential nomination. Gen.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, president Of CO.
lumbia University. whom many Repub-~
HcanS would dearly love to nominate,
not only has said he Is not q candidate
for President, but has indicated he will
soon be in uniform again as commander
1n-chief OF the North Atlantic Pact Ma
tions' security forces. Gov. Earl Warren
of California is always reluctant can
didate-and he may be expected to deny
presidential candidacy.
Here, however, are the three men
whose qualifications and availability will
be more discussed during coming months
than any others-with the possible ex-
ception of Gov. Duff of Pennsylvania,
now Senator-elect.
Seen as Bid for Draft"
Senator Taft, frank as always, has de-
clared he is not candidate for the
presidential nomination. He said he will
not campaign for such nomination or
seek it in any way. But with equal can
dor, the Ohio Senator has said he would
accept presidential nomination if 1t
were tendered him. In many quarters
this will be regarded as an invitation to
draft him. Mr.. Taft, however, is not
trying to be subtle. If the Republicans
in national convention should pick him
as the party standard bearer in 1852, he
would run for President. Presumably,
Gen. Eisenhower, Cows. Warren or
Dewey-or Duff-would do the same
under such conditions. The Republican
presidential nomination, in the light Of
results of the recent elections, promises
to be of considerable value in 1852
although much may happen in two years
to change the picture.
At this stage of the political game,
any potential nominee for President is
reluctant to- cast his hat in the ring.
Always, however, there are two schools
of thought-one which believes in get
ting off to an early start in search of
presidential nominee, and the other
which believes it is safer to hold off and
let others do the running.
The draft of Gen. Eisenhower for the
presidential nomination of the COP.
has already been started. Further. it
has been given big boost by the public
statement of Gov. Dewey. titular head Of
the party, in support of an Eisenhower
nomination. In the light of Gov. Dewey's
big victory in New York and the fact
that he will have dominating voice in
New York's big delegation at the Re-
publican National Convention, this in
dorsement is not easy to laugh off.
Friends Of Gen. Eisenhower have given
it as their opinion that -, 20, will never
be an active candidate for the nomina-
ton, but that he would not reject
draft" Always, however, has been the
chance that President Truman would
call Gen. Eisenhower back into the mill
tary service, and that such service might
run for the next two years. o,
Ohio's Favorite Son.
Senator Taft was Ohio's favorite son"
candidate for the presidential nominal
ton in 1886. He was again a candidate
for the nomination in 1910, and was
runner-up to the late Wendell L. Willkie
in the final balloting at the Philadelphia
convention. In 1914 he stood aside to
give Senator Bricker then governor of
Ohio, chance. Senator Taft's greatest
effort was in 1948, but it failed under
the drive for Gov. Dewey. Mr.. Taft has
now decided that the nomination should
seek the man. Anyway, that he is tired
of running after it and will not do so.
Gov. Dewey started running for Presi-
dent in 1910, after he had lost election
as Governor of New York by hair. He
lost the nomination that year, although
he entered the convention with more
pledged delegates than any other candi-
date. Two years later, Gov. Dewey was
elected Governor, and in 1914 it was
Dewey all the way at the party's ma
tional convention. He was defeated by
President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Again
in 1948. after he had been reelected as
Governor by a big vote, he was able to
win second presidential nomination.
He lost to President Truman, but he has
now made another spectacular come
back. How is it possible to count him
entirely out-particularly as he is still a
young man?
Senator Taft will have principal part
in shaping Republican policy in the
coming Congress. Upon his personal at
titude will depend the measure of the
attack which may be launched against
him by the liberal wing of the Republi-
can Party-to which Cows. Dewey and
Duff, and Warren are generally as
signed. If he does not show as an ex-
treme conservative-both on foreign and
domestic policy-it is going to be difficult
to deny Senator Taft a nomination.
even though he does not make personal
campaign for it.