Evening star., 1952-08-02
The Political Mill
What Does Stevenson
Owe Administration?
Faces Ticklish Job in Drawing
Line on Fuir Deal Policies
By Gould Lincoln

By Gould Lincoln
HYANNIS. Mass, Aug. 2-How
independent OF the Truman adminiStra-
tion, how far away from the charges Of
corruption in some of the Government
agencies, can Adlai Stevenson, the new
Democratic standard bearer. get in the
coming presidential campaign?
The Illinois Governor has already
given indication that he intends to run
his own campaign. He has even left
some doubt as to whether he wants
President Truman to make any whistle
stop campaign trips across the country
for him. Indeed, there is an apparent
effort being made to show that Gov.
Stevenson is his own man, beholden to
no one for the nomination, which was
dumped in his lap by the Democratic
National Convention despite his urgent
request that he be not named.
At best. it's going to be tough job.
The fact that Stevenson's nomination
came on a third ballot, following the
arrival of President Truman in Chicago.
will be remembered. Also the fact that
on the second ballot Gov. Stevenson
was still running second to Senator Ke-
fauver Of Tennessee. and that supporters
Of Vice President Barkley at that point
believed they had successfully stopped"
him.
What Happened at Recess?
At the end of the second ballot the
Democratic National Convention took
a recess Of several hours. It has never
yet been made entirely clear just what
happened during that recess. But at its
close. the atmosphere had changed en-
tirely. w. Averell Hartman of New
York, Mutual Security Administrator
and as close to the Truman administra-
ton as any one could be, started the
ball rolling toward Stevenson. He re-
tired from the race and urged his dele
gate supporters to vote for Stevenson.
Just like that. Administration leaders
in the convention jumped on the band
wagon. How much. therefore, does Gov.
Stevenson actually owe the Truman ad-
miniStration-and perhaps the President
himseh-for the nomination which is
now his? Presumably, he owes them
quite lot.
While 1t is important for the new
Democratic presidential candidate to get
out from under the corruption taint of
the administration and away from the
opposition which has been built up
against President Truman, it is also vital
for him to hold on to the millions of
voters who elected the Fair Deal Presi-
dent in 1948. Drawing the line between
flight from Truman and adherence to
the Fair Deal policies is likely to be
ticklish.
Before the presidential nomination
was made In Chicago some Of the ad-
ministration leaders were critical of Gov.
Stevenson, holding that. by his course,
the Governor. already was turning his
back on the President. They charged
that he could easily have agreed to go
along as the party's nominee when
President Truman first broached the
subject to him early last spring. They
resented his attitude, and claimed that
the Governor had played 1t that way"
Those were the leaders who hoped and
believed they could prevent Stevenson
nomination on the third ballot and then
swing the convention to Mr. Barkley.
Eisenhower Free to Attack.
When Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was
fighting for the Republican presidential
nomination at Chicago. one of the main
porters Of Senator Taft of Ohio was
that Eisenhower was really the candidate
OF President Truman; that Eisenhower
was beholden to both the Roosevelt and
Truman administrations for his pro-
motions and could not make an
aggressive campaign against the Demo-
cratic nominee. With Truman firmly
backing the Stevenson candidacy, Eisen-
h0Uer
attacking the Fair Dealers and their
domestic programs. He will have no
difficulty, either, in criticising the
Roosevelt Truman policies in the Far
East. which resulted in the loss of
China to the Reds and, finally, the war
in Korea.
To win. either candidate must make
strong appeal to the great body of
independent voters IN the country.
During the preconvention campaign, it
was clearly indicated by many tests of
popular opinion that Gen. Eisenhower
was favored both against his Republi-
can opponents for the presidential
nomination and against any Of his
possible Democratic opponents for the
election next November. Gov. Stevenson
might overcome this lead which Eisen-
hover has had with this big group of
independents, but it seems unlikely.
Many of the Independents wish to get
away from further Democratic control
of the Federal Government. They believe
they have sincere, independent and
completely Embossed candidate in Gen.
Eisenhower That is the big advantage
which the Republican candidate has
today.
N,.a~3:An l A