Evening star., 1951-10-25
Eisenhower Discredited
By Device Of Opponents
General os Either Party Heed,
Likened to q chameleon
The Political Mil
By Gould Lincoln

Opponents of the nomination Of Gen.
Dwight .. Eisenhower by the Republi-
can National Convention next year.
whether they be Democrats or Taft Re-
publicans or merely misguided friends
OF the general-have suggested that
Gen. Eisenhower might accept q Demo.
cratic nomination for President if SEN
ator Taft should be the Republican
nominee. His friends do him no service
when they present him as a political
chameleon. His opponents. Republican
or Democratic, use this device to dis
credit the general. If he has no con-
victions regarding the present Demo-
cratic administration, and stands will
ing to go any way the political wind
blows. If he is that kind of character.
he should be neither nominated nor
elected President.
In support Of the idea that Gen.
Eisenhower would take a Democratic
nomination to run against Senator Taft.
1t is urged that the general has so much
at heart the upbuilding of military
strength in Western Europe and the de-
velopment of NATO forces, he would
cast in his lot with the Democrats
rather than see Senator Taft. dubbed
by his opponents an 'isolationist," enter
the White House. Mr.. Taft, however,
has not said, nor will he say, during
his campaign for the Republican presi-
dental nomination, that he wishes to
scuttle the NATO. Nor is it his pur-
pose to do so. should be become Pres
ident
In support Of the idea that Gen Eisen.
hover Is in q position to take either
Republican or Democratic nomina-
ton. it is said, too, that he has never
been allied with either Of the major par
ties. and in fact has taken no part in
politics. 1t Is also said that he has a
great regard for duty-duty to the coun-
try-and that if he were convinced the
people wanted him, he would accent
the call to run for President. It is.
however, difficult to understand how he
would recognize such call If 1t came
from the Democrats and fail to recog-
nize it If it came from the Republicans.
Particularly is this so when the speeches
he made while he was serving as presi-
dent OF Columbia University are taken
into consideration. He spoke out strong
ly in those speeches against the pater-
nalistic ideas of the Fair Dealers And
further, no denial has been made by
Gen. Eisenhower. or any one else speak,
ing for him, of the Republican charac-
terlZatlon given the general by Row
Roberts, president of the Kansas CITY
Star. Mr.. Roberts said-and 1t was
given the widest publicity-that Gen.
Eisenhower had told him personally
he, Eisenhower, was IAN old-fashioned
Kansas Republican"-than which there
Is no further degree of Republicanism.
There are number of Democrats
who still cling to the idea that Gen.
Ike" would be their best bet as presi-
Dental nominee next year-if they could
get him. With the mounting burden
of scandals which might weaken Presi-
dent Truman in the campaign next year.
the number of these Democrats is in
creaslng rather than diminishing. It
Will be recalled. however that there was
similar outcry from many Democrats
IN 1948-When they believed that Mr..
Truman would surely be defeated if he
were nominated. Gen. Eisenhower, how
ever. made it very clear he would not
at that time accept a presidential NOM
lnation. So the Eisenhower drive blew
up in their faces, as the Democratic
National Convention was assembling,
Men have been known to change their
party afhliation. 1t might be even cas-
Ter for man who, like Eisenhower, has
never made any parade of party selec-
ton to do so. But until Gen. Eisen-
hover says himself he is a Democrat.
the burden of proof will remain he is
Republican, and as such. in clear
position to accept a Republican presi-
dental nomination provided he believes
1t his duty to do so. He could embrace
the Democratic Party Fair Deal and
alb with far better grace, however, #
he did so before the Republican con-
ventlon next July, rather than to wait
until after that convention neglected
him and nominated Senator Taft.