Evening star., 1951-04-24
The Political Mill :
Appointment Of Moody
To Senate Seat Unique
Reporter in Press GuIIey
Moves Directly to Floor
By Gould Lincoln

Old1r MOOOyS move from seat IN the
press gallery to seat on the floor of
the United States Senate is unique.
Other Senators. including Senator Henry
Cabot Lodge. jr., Massachusetts, Repub-
lcan. and the late Senator Capper Of
Kansas, have been members Of the press
gallery before they became Senators,
but none have moved directly from their
reporting jobs to become actors in the
dramatic-or prosaic-Scenes which they
have been reporting. The new Senator
from Michigan will play his part, and
play 1t strongly and well If his record
as newspaper man and radio COM
mentator is criterion.
Mr.. Moody moves into the seat of a
great Senator, the late Arthur H. Van
denberg, whose friend he was. Although
OF the opposite political party, Mr..
Moody was firm believer in Senator
Vandenberg's ideas Of foreign policy Of
this country.
His appointment to the Senate and
elevation to a front-row seat in the
Democratic Party Of MICHIGAN creates
an interesting situation. Gov. Mennen
Williams. Democrat, who has been
twice elected Governor; Senator Moody
and Walter Reuther, head of the Auto
mobile Workers of America, will pre-
sent trio with whom the Republicans
will have to deal in the campaign Of
1852. 1t is reported here that Gov.
Williams is likely to run again for re-
election to his present Office, leaving
Mr.. Moody to seek election to the Senate
seat, and both will have, it is said, the
strong backing of Mr. Reuther.
"Joe" Ball Active Reporter.
The last active newspaper reporter
appointed to the Senate was former
Senator "Joe" Ball of Minnesota, picked
for the Senate by the then Gov Harold
E. Stassen. Mr.. Ball ran for election
on the same ticket with Mr.. Stassen n
short time later and was elected. Mr..
Ball, as a. member Of the Senate Com
mittee on Labor, played a leading part
IN the drafting Of the Taft-Hartley
labor law. Organized labor strongly op-
posed him in the election of 1948-and
ne was defeated. If Mr.. Moody runs
for election next year, it may be ex-
pected he will have the support of labor.
Mr.. Reuther. as we'll as Gov Williams.
is his friend.
Mr.. Moody has an advantage in po-
htical race which other contenders rarely
nave. He is known widely throughout
his State to countless voters because of
his radio broadcasts. He has conducted
Tor several years program entitled
Meet Your Congress" It was this pro-
gram last Friday which leaped into the
: limelight because of the bitter contro-
versy which arose between Republican
Senators Taft of Ohio and Capehart of
Indiana. on the one hand. and Demo-
cratic Senators Lehman of New York
and Humphrey of Minnesota over the
military policy of the United States in
Korea and the Far East. 1t ended in a
physical encounter involving Senators
Capehart, Humphrey and Lehman as
the broadcast closed.
There had been reports that Gov.
Williams might appoint Walter Reuther
10 the Vandenberg Senate seat. To have
cone SO, however, would have put the
C1O label securely on Gov. Williams
ana nave LETT Mr.. Reuther to make the
race for the Senate next year. CIo can
oldates IN Michigan, even in the city of
Detroit elections, have not Jared well.
ms, apparently, was risk Gov. Viii.
Hams was unwilling to take Nor did he
wish to appoint another CIO candidate
10 the Office. There is grave doubt. too.
that Mr.. Reuther would have been in
terested in moving into the political
field from his present labor leadership.
Gossip on Candidates.
Already there is gossip about Republi-
can senatorial candidates. Among those
mentioned is Frederick Alger, Secretary
OF State. who was reelected to that
ONCE last year. Others are Representa-
tive Ford, a veteran of the last war.
serving his second term in the House
from the Grand Rapids district-Van-
denberg's home-and Republican State
Chairman Owen j. Cleary.
The appointment of Mr.. Moody gives
the eastern part of the State two Sena.
tors. Usually there has been a deter.
mined effort to have the western sec
ton represented in the Senate along
with the eastern.
Gov. Williams, who has indicated that
Mr. Moody will have free rein to run for
the Senate in 1852. is politically ambi-
tlous, according to reports-and he
would not be averse to place on the
democratic national ticket next year.
He is, indeed, an available Democratic
Governor.