Evening star., 1951-09-20
The Political Mill:
Eisenhower Movement
Seen Gaining Strength
Darby Says General Needs
No Special Build-Up
By Gould Lincoln

keeping the enhoWer-fOr-PreSl-
dent movement under wraps Is becom-
ing increasingly dificult-as important
Republican leaders continue to align
themselves as supporters of the general.
Former Senator Harry Darby of Kansas
and for years member of the Repub-
lican National Committee, regarded as
leader of pro- Eisenhower forces. in
Washington for few days, takes the
view that Gen. Eisenhower, because Of
his wide popularity, needs no special
bulld-up as possible presidential candi-
date, but that his strength will grow
with the passing months.
According to Mr.. Darby, there is no
present plan for the establishment Of an
Eiserhower-fo President headquarters,
for the organization of Eisenhower
President clubs. or the creation Of an
Eisenhower committee. Mr.. Darby makes
it clear, however. that he feels Gen.
Eisenhower will be available" when the
proper time comes, and that he will
win the Republican nomination In the
meantime, Mr.. Darby is emphatic that
the Eisenhower movement is not to be
considered as stop Taft" or stop
any one else drive for the nomination Of
the G. o. P.
Many Big Names in Picture. .
There are many big names in the
presidential nomination picture today"
said Mr.. Darby among them Senator
Taft of Ohio, Senator Dirksen of Illinois.
Gov. Earl Warren of California, Gov.
Driscoll of New Jersey Senator Lodge
of Massachusetts, and others. If any one
of them can go ahead and cinch the
nomination, the more power to him.
But do not believe that any one is going
to run away with this nomination in
the next four or five months, certainly
not when so many Republicans are
turning to Gen. Eisenhower"
Mr.. Darby said that he is not ap-
preaching Republican leaders to urge
them to support an Eisenhower nomina-
ton. On the other hand, he said, many
leaders from many parts Of the country
are telling him they are for the general.
He has no present intention Of going to
Europe to see Gen. Eisenhower.
Since it has been definitely established
that Gen. Eisenhower is an "old-fash-
ioned Kansas Republican" the only
question in the minds of some is whether
he will be available for the Republican
presidential nomination, in view Of the
important military task he is now en-
gagged in as supreme commander of the
NATO forces in Europe. More and more
the opinion is gaining ground that he
will be available. Whether he will make
any public announcement, however.
about politics Is queStion-as long as
he occupies his present position. But, as
some of his supporters point out among
them Mr.. Darby, such an announcement
is not entirely essential, certainly not
now. Further, some of Gen. Eisen-
hower's more recent visitors, among
them Representative Hugh Scott of
Pennsylvania. have gained an impression
that the availability of Gen. Ike is as
certain as it can be.
Dewey Stated Position.
A week ago Gov. Dewey of New York,
who last fall came out strongly for the
nomination of Gen. Eisenhower, spent
day or two in the Capital and conferred
at length with congressional leaders who
favor the generals nomination, includ-
ing Senator Duff of Pennsylvania, Sena-
tor Thye of Minnesota, Senator Ives Of
New York, and the Kansas Senators,
Carlson and Schoeppel, and many mem
bers Of the House. The Governor. before
he left Washington, reiterated his sup
port OF Gen. Eisenhower and predicted
ne would be nominated and elected.
Mr.. Darby frankly admitted that the
Eisenhower-for- President drive may
break out in any one of a number of
quarters. 1t is plain, however that the
present tactics Of the Eisenhower leaders
is not to trot out their horse so long be-
fore the race actually starts. They be-
lieve he could be in no better position
than he is today. And from a practical
political point of view there are party
leaders who will hesitate to tie them
selves hard and fast to any other poten-
tial candidate while the Eisenhower
shadow looms large on the horizon.