Evening star., 1951-08-11
The Political Min
The Political Min
Bitter Struggles Slated
In Coming Conventions
Buckers of Candidates Push
Fights in Both Parties
By Gould Lincoln

Not since the ama-packed Demo-
cratic National Convention of 1882, when
the late Franklin D. Roosevelt won his
first presidential nomination, has there
been promise of more sharp and bitter
political struggles than in the Demo-
cratic and Republican National Conven-
tions of 1852.
Take look at the coming Democratic
National Convention. If President Tru-
man becomes candidate for renomina-
ton, the solid South" threatens to blow
up in his face-and the blow may be
more severe than it was in 1948, when
the delegates from the Southern States
voted for Senator Russell of Georgia,
rot Mr.. Truman.
The Southern Democrats will have
capable leaders in their opposition to
Mr.. Truman. Among them are Senator
Byrd OF Virginia and Gov Byrnes of
South Carolina. They do not intend to
have the Democrats of the South made a
mere cog in the machinery to continue
In power a party organization which
gives no heed to the desires of and ira
ditions Of Southern Democracy.
"Who But Truman?"
Recent elections in Virginia and Mis-
sissippi indicate clearly that the Tru-
man Fair Dealers have failed to make
progress in that section of the country.
On the other hand. should President
Truman determine to step aside and not
run again, the struggle in the Demo-
cratic convention would be desperate for
more reasons than one. No potential
presidential candidate has been built up.
In fact, it is a question of "Who but
Truman?" The New Deal-Fair Deal
wing of the Democratic Party has some
younger men-and had more until last
year when the Republicans knocked off
Gov. Chester Bowles of Connecticut and
Senator Scott Lucas of Illinois-who will
doubtless aspire to presidential nomi-
nation, men like Senator Humphrey of
Minnesota and Senator Douglas of Illi-
nois. To nominate Senator Humphrey,
however. would arouse as bitter a fight
by the Southerners as though Mr.. Tru-
man himself were running. AS for SEN
ator Douglas, Mr. Truman can scarcely
be pictured as stepping aside to make
him presidential nominee. The bitter
feud which has developed between the
White House and the Illinois Senator is
still on the increase.
Compromise Candidate.
In some quarters it has been Sug-
geSted that Chief Justice Vinson, Ken
tucklan, would be a compromise candi-
date for the Democrats capable of
uniting the fighting factions. And such
he might become, provided he were will
ing to give up the great Office he now
holds. He has occupied many high
Offices in the Roosevelt and Truman
administrations, and yet he halls from
a border State, so close to the South
that the Southern Democrats would
welcome him
The Republican National Convention
may turn into great, bowling draft
board for Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Or it may become the scene of a knock
down. drag-out battle between the forces
OF Senator Robert Taft of Ohio and
the allies who seem to be building up
against him, led by Gov. Dewey of New
York, Senator Duff of PENNSYLVANIA.
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts. Har-
old E. Stassen of Pennsylvania and Min.
nesota, and Gov Warren of California.
In either case the political maneuvering
and in-t1ghting promise plenty of ex-
citement.
Both the Eisenhower and Taft forces
are gathering together now all the
strength they possess, and reaching out
for more
Eisenhower, it is figured, will have so
far completed his present job in Europe
by the first of the year that he will be
available. President Truman has said
that he can run for President if he
wishes - but added that he believed
Gen. Eisenhower's sense of duty to the
country would be deciding factor. OF
course, Gen. Eisenhower might consider
it his duty to serve in the White House
as we'll as in the NATO headquarters
in France, even if that proved surprise
to Mr.. Truman.