Evening star., 1952-03-04
The Political Mill
Taft Forces Cheered
By Macarthur Support
Generals Aid for ohioun Seen
As Deepest Step Into Politics
The Political Mill

u u u
Generals Aid for ohioun Seen
As Deepest Step Into Politics
By Gould Lincoln
The first test Of the Macarthur Taft
political alliance is about to be made in
New HampShire's primary election next
Tuesday. It has been understood for
weeks that Senator Taft was Gen. Mac
Arthur's choice for the Republican
presidential nomination. The general
pinned this down firmly, however, when
he recently wrote one of his supporters
in New Hampshire, State Senator j.
Wesley Colburn, advising him, and
other Macarthur people. to vote in the
primary for the Ohio Senator against
Gen. Eisenhower in the election of dele
gates to the Republican National Con-
vention.
Eighteen delegate candidates favor
able to Macarthur are still filed in the
primary. Two courses seem open to
the Macarthur followers, in the light
Of Gen. MacArthur's advice. The first
is to go ahead and elect if possible
some of these Macarthur delegates,
with the idea that they would vote for
Taft in the national convention. The
second, is to abandon these Macarthur
delegate candidates, and vote for the
Taft delegate candidates.
Not an Easy Task
1t Is always tough job to transfer
individual political support from one
candidate to another. Whether the
voters who like Macarthur will be will
ing to change over to Taft in any con-
siderable numbers remains to be seen.
At least Macarthur has made the play
to get them to do so, which puts him
more afflrmatively into politics than any
step he has taken since his return to
this country. The general said then
he was not and would not be a candi-
date for Office He has consistently
followed that lihe-and in a number
OF cases has taken steps to remove
himself from presidential preferential
primaries.
The Taft people are quite naturally
enthusiastic over the action of Gen.
Macarthur. They understand well that
the general has big and enthusiastic
following throughout the country. If
they can have large slice of this fol-
lowing transferred to Senator Taft.
they visualize an easy victory when it
comes to nominating a presidential
candidate next July. It will be par
ticularly interesting. therefore, to learn
how well this proposed alliance turns
out in New Hampshire.
Sought for Keynote.
Senator Taft has expressed a desire
fn Ar4l
note address at the Republican Ma
t1onal Convention. This would, if car
ried out, also make Gen. Macarthur
the temporary chairman of the ma
tional convention, and place in the
hands Of Taft supporter the power
to make decisions affecting the per-
manent organization of the conven-
ton. That's matter of practical poll
tics. On the other side of the picture,
Gen. Macarthur is a powerful and dra-
matte speaker. capable of landing
devastating punch where it will hurt
the Truman Democrats most. If and
when his name Is put forward for tenn
porary chairman and keynoter of the
Republican National Convention, the
Eisenhower. Warren and StasSen peo-
pie will have to think twice before they
oppose him. The decision will come
first in the committee on arrangements
for the national convention, and will
not be made for some time. and then
finally to the convention itself.
Under the rules of the national con-
vention, the keynote speaker does not
have to be an elected delegate-so Gen.
Macarthur could qualify as keynoter
and temporary chairman. It might be
difficult for him otherwise, since he is
not a delegate candidate either in his
legal residence, Wisconsin, or in New
York, where he now resides.
Hope for Macarthur.
There are plenty of Macarthur sup
porters who hope very strongly that
in the end the convention will turn to
the general for the presidential nomi-
nee-particularly II neither Senator
Taft nor Gen. Eisenhower should be
nominated on an early ballot Whether
they ever will be as enthusiastic for a
Taft nomination is another question.
While the favor shown him by Gen.
Macarthur is helpful to Senator Taft,
it is also true that many of the peo-
pie who are now supporting Gov. War;
rem Of California and former Gov.
Stassen of Minnesota for the presi-
dentialt nomination will turn more
quickly to Gen. Eisenhower than they
would to Senator Taft-and 1t is no
secret that neither Warren nor Stas-
sen looks with favor on the Taft can
didacy. While much of the Republican
Old Guard supports Taft. the array back
Of Eisenhower includes such leaders as
Dewey of New York. Duff of Pennsyl-
vania. Lodge of Massachusetts,. Lodge
of Connecticut and Republican Gov
ernors all across the country.