The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1952-02-14
THE GREAT
GAME OF
POLITICS
Copyright by The Baltimore Sun and
reprinted in The Republican by
permission.
Stevenson--Pro and Con
BY FRANK r. KENT

1 gandlStS ana POLITICIANS as dlStln-
guished from the pro-Truman FAN
Deal propagandists and politicians
4 The difference between these groups
is not in principle or direction The
difference is that the first group has
neither personal nor political admir-
alton nor loyalty for Mr.. Truman
while the other group has both.
Until short time ago. the first
group felt that Mr. Truman intended
to force his own denomination and
that that meant certain defeat. 1t
also left them out on a limb with no
place to 90, and number of their
left-wing leaders were exceedingly
bitter in their comments ON the Presi-
dent The change came few days
after Gov. Adlai Stevenson Of Illinois
had conference with Mr.. Truman at
the White House. Though not the
least supporting evidence was pro-
duced, at once over the air and in the
press, statements went out to the eff
feet that Mr.. Truman having deter
mined not to run had decided upon
Governor Stevenson as the Demo-
cratic nominee.
Accompanying these statements
was strong "buildup" Of Governor
Stevenson as a great vote-getter and
administrator. Also accompanying
were elusive eulogies Of Mr.. Truman
as noble and genuinely patriotic
man in thus Sacrificing" himself for
his party and the country-eu logies
in striking contrast to the Truman
criticisms previously emanating from
the same people. Upon this basis a
considerable boom for Mr.. Stevenson
has been launched. Beyond question,
he has certain assets not to be lightly
dismissed. Among these can be listed:
a. Relative youth and attractive
personality; % election as governor
in 1913 by a record breaking major
ity; CD no personal or political enc
mics and clean record; ca real
ability as a campaigner.
On the other side OF the ledger are:
C) The fact that his chief boosters
are leaders Of the so-calleI Americans
for Democratic Action, Of which left
wing organization he is member;
(2) that he is not only New Deal but
Fair Deal as well; that he is identified
with their spending policies and
thel efore incapable Of reversing our
progress toward national Insolvency.
In other words, his election would
merely continue for four more years
-24 in all-the socialistic Admins
trations which began in 1898. Two
other points are made against Nh
Stevenson as candidate: a. That
he is . divorced man; (2) that he was
friend Of Mr.. Alger Hiss; that in
his first trial he appeared as a charac-
ten witness for him; that he knew
him in the Harvard Law School, in
the State Department and at San
Francisco
As to the divorce, friends of Mr..
Stevenson assert there was nothing
even remotely discreditable to him
about ii. and that it will in no way
do him political damage As to his
friendship with Mr.. Hiss, while they
concede this will do him no good, the
conviction is strong that no fair
minded man could possibly believe
Mr.. Stevenson had any knowledge of
Mr.. Hiss communistic affiliations and
activities. In the event Of Mr.. Steven
sons nomination, it does not seem
likely that his opponents would make
much Of either of these points in the
campaign. But Mr.. Stevenson's candi-
dacy would offer the Republicans
three major issues upon which to
hammer: Cd that he had been hand
picked by Mr.. Truman and hence
would be committed to the Truman
policies and the Fair Deal Program,
90 that he would have the same la
bor-boss support which has dominated
the White House for the last eigh-
teen years; (3) that Mn Stevenson,
himself a professed "liberal," would
not appeal to the Democratic con
servatives who have voted Republican
in the last three elections as a protest
against policies they regard as I'M
sound; (4) that Mr.. Stevenson, while
personally less offensive to the South
than Mr.. Truman, would be political
ly almost as hard to take because his
stand on the FEPA program is essen
TALLY the same.
These things, along with the fact
that his most ardent friends agree
his great 1913 majority was largely
due to the weakness of his Republican
opponent, naturally are not mentioned
by his personal boosters. But they are
bound to be before the convention
meets and heavily dwelt on later,
should he become the nominee Never
theless, to a considerable number of
Democratic politicians unenthusiastic
about either Senator Kefauver, of
Tennessee, Senator Kerr, Of Okla
homa, or the 74-year-old Vice Presi-
dent Barley, at the moment Mr.
Stevenson appears to be the best bet.