Evening star., 1951-11-17
The Political Mill
Eisenhower-Lodge Slate
Would Hook up Midwest
Senator Could Be Put on Ticket
If General Is Nominated
By Gould Lincoln

By Gould Lincoln
The Eisenhower for President Repub-
lican forces have come up with hard
hitting, politically shrewd campaign
manager-Senator Henry Cabot Lodge,
jr., OF Massachusetts,. Senator Lodge has
been an enthusiast for the nomination
of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower for many
months. He has characterized the gen.
eral as the real hope" for Republican
victory next year. The Massachusetts
Senator is himself up for reelection
next year-but that fact has not de-
TERED him from tying himself to the
prospective Eisenhower candidacy. Nor
has the fact that he himself has been
mentioned frequently for a place on the
Republican national ticket. If he is sue
cessful in the coming Eisenhower drive,
Senator Lodge would be a natural for
the vice presidential nomination. An
ElsenhoWer-Lodge ticket would hook up
the MidWest-Eisenhower is from Kan
SaS-and the East.
The Massachusetts Senator, who is 40
years old and looks younger, is an at
tractlVe figure in the Senate and in the
political world. He is by no means un-
known to national politics. and in 1948
was chairman of the platform commit
tee OF the Republican National Conven-
ton. He was right hand man of the
late Senator Vandenberg Of Michigan
In the battle to remove the Republican
party in Congress from an isolationist
position, and is at present member of
the Senate Foreign Relations Commit
tee. During the war he took leave OF
absence from the Senate to serve with
the first American tank detachment in
Llbya and later resigned from the Sen
ate IN order to go on active duty in the
Army.
Opposed Taft on Issues.
The selection of Senator Lodge as
campaign manager for Gen. Eisenhower
brings him up against Senator Taft of
Ohio, avowed candidate for the Repub-
lican presidential nomination. This is
nothing new. When the 8lst Congress
met in January 1949, Senator Lodge was
the candidate Of the liberal Republican
group against Senator Taft for the
craftsmanship Of the Republican Policy
Committee of the Senate-and lost to
Iaft. He opposed Senator Taft on other
occasions and issues before the Senate,
particularly on Taft's fight to prevent
the sending of additional ground forces
OF the United States to strengthen the
NATO armies under command Of Gen.
Eisenhower. Senator Lodge too has
been insistent on the quick upbuilding
of national defense, criticizing strongly
the slowness in military production in
this country.
In an address delivered yesterday in
Chicago, Senator Lodge enunicated his
own formula for American foreign policy
to meet the immediate situation. There
are no ifs or butts about it, and it is
contrast to the foreign policy for the
American people, discussed by Senator
Taft in his new book. Senator Lodge
said:
Policy to Preserve Peace.
ut is not hard for the citizen to tell
what an effective foreign policy should
be. e. In its simplest terms, it means
this: To preserve peace, and If war
should come, to have really effective
allies" And further along, Senator
Lodge continued: II say to you in all
solemnity. my fellow Republicans, that
this country cannot afford the type Of
expensive and wasteful muddling that
it has been having and that we certainly
cannot continue in our present manner
for the next ten or fifteen years. 1t is
better to rebuild strength quickly, regain
the initiative quickly. organize the peace
quickly and then be able to confront a
normal and peaceful life" Too much
business as usual and politics as usual,
Senator Lodge maintained. has marked
the present defense effort.
How resourceful Lodge has been as q
politician is evidenced by his campaigns
for the Senate in Massachusetts,. In his
first try for that office, he defeated the
then Democratic Gov. James Curley in
1886. He was reelected in re42, running
against Representative Joe Casey, and
in 1946 won by a decisive margin over
veteran Democratic Senator David I.
Walsh. All this in State which in ma
tional elections has gone Democratic
ever since 1928.
1t seems clear that the Eisenhower
drive, under Lodge management, must
pick up quickly and gain momentum.
If it falters or in any way appears to
die on the vine. it is unlikely that Gen.
Eisenhower will become a candidate.
Senator Lodge, however, has no doubt
whatever that a show of great senti-
ment for Gen. Eisenhower will be forth
coming.