Evening star., 1951-11-04
Looking Aheod-
Truman, Taft and Eisenhower Dominate
The Scene, but Plenty of Others Wait
By Gould Lincoln

Eight months hence-in July, 1852
the Democratic and Republican
Parties. in national convention. will
name their candidates. What is the
political picture today and what are
the auguries for presidential candi-
dates and party issues?
Three men dominate the scene
They are President Truman, Senator
Robert A. Taft of Ohio and Gen.
Dwight D. Eisenhower Taft has
announced his candidacy for the
Republican nomination. President
Truman and Gen. Eisenhower have
so far been silent regarding political
plans. Neither has said he would
accept a presidential nomination,
although both are besieged with re-
quests that they run-Mr. Truman
by Democratic leaders and Gen.
Eisenhower by many Republicans.
No Democrat is expected to an
nounce his candidacy for the presi-
dental nomination as long as Mr..
Truman continues his Sphinxlike
attitude 1t is generally conceded
that the President can be renom-
mated if he says the word. If he
intends to run. therefore. he can
maintain silence right up to the
opening of the Democratic National
Convention in Chicago on July 81
next-if he wishes-and still be NOM
inated-though he may be desperately
opposed by delegations from the
Southern States.
Vinson Moy Be Choice
But, if Mr.. Truman decides not to
be. a candidate, he may let it be
known so that other outstanding
Democrats may make their bid for
delegate support. The first presiden-
tial preferential primary may be held
in New Hampshire March IL and
the second on March l8 in Mime
sofa. Other States will declare their
preferences and elect delegates to
the national conventions in primary
elections and State conventions right
up to the first week in June.
II not Mr.. Truman. who else is
there for the Democratic nomination?
The question is asked almost daily
bv those who predict the President
will permit his denomination. The
answer is, of course, there will be
no lack of aspiring Democrats-some
of them we'll qualified. There is Chief
Justice Fred Vinson - frequently
called Mr.. Truman's first choice as
his successor. Indeed. it has been
suggested that the President will
withhold until the last moment his
declination to run again so that he
can dictate the nomination of the
61-year-old jurist-a Kentuckian and
close friend.
Other Democrats who may seek
the nomination include Gov. Frank
j. Lausche of Ohio. Gov. G. Mennen
Williams OF Michigan, Gov. Adlai E.
Stevenson of Illinois, Senator Paul
H. Douglas Of Illinois. Senator Brien
Mcmahon of Connecticut. Senator
Hubert H. Humphrey of Minnesota
and Senator Estes Kefauver OF Ten
nessee. The Democrats have been
partial to Governors for their preSi-
dental nominees. Including Grover
Cleveland, Governor of New York,
the Democrats have had but nine
presidential nominees in the last Ct
years. and five of them were Cover
nors. The other four Governors were
Wilson of New Jersey. Cox OF Ohio.
Smith of New York and Franklin D.
Roosevelt, also of new York. They
might turn again to Governor.
Truman Still in Control "a f@
There has been an iptimation from
the President he would discuss poll
tical plans after the opening Of the
second session of the 82d Congress
next January. It would help to clear
the atmosphere lot. In the mean
time. through his selection of new
Democratic national chairman, Frank
Mckinney of Indianapolis, who is
apparently to serve through the ma
tional campaign next year, he is
keeping tight hold Of the party's
national organization.
Of the three Democratic Governors
considered at least potential candi-
dates for the presidential nominal
ton, Gov. Lausche of Ohio is an in
dependent and dynamic figure. The
son of an immigrant from Yugo-
slavia, he has been Mayor of Cleve-
land and three times Governor of
his State. President Truman, it is
reported, has characterized him as a
counterfeit Democrat" rat"-presumabl
because Gov. Lausche did not take
the stump in 1850 to defeat Senator
Taft for reelection. However, last
summer the Ohio Governor visited
the White House and after a con-
ference with the President. declared
that Mr. Truman should run again
and predicted he would be reelected.
G. Mennen Williams. Governor of
Michigan, is the first Democrat to
be reelected Governor in that State
since the Civil War and the birth of
the Republican Party. Forty years
old, handsome, and the inheritor of
a soap fortune. he is an attractive
and thorough campaigner. Adlai
Stevenson of Illinois. 81. is the
grandson of Democratic Vice PreSi-
dent. A prosperous lawyer in Chi
cago, he gave up his practice to serve
his country in various capacities
connected with its foreign relations,
including the drafting of the United
Nations Charter in San Francisco in
1945. He was elected Governor in
1948 with an enormous plurality over
his Republican opponent, Gov. Frank
Green.
Senotors All Popuior
> OF the Senators who have been
mentioned, Douglas of Illinois has
been voted "the best Senator" by the
press galleries. He stands 6 feet
2l2 inches. was a professor at
the University of Chicago and
q fighting Marine Mcmahon of