Evening star., 1952-03-13
Trumon Mo- Confidence
Vote in New Hampshire
Taft Also JoIted by Sweeping
Victory Of Eisenhower
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

Oy 0Outo LnC0tn
The cold winds Of the New Hamp-
shire primary are breathing down the
necks Of President Truman and Sena.
tor Robert A. Taft Of Ohio-and not
doing either Of them any good politi.
cally. The amazing defeat Of the Presi-
dent by Senator Kefauver. of the coon.
skin cap and Tennessee, was in ef.
feet a vote of no confidence In the
Chief Executive. AS for Senator Taft.
the Eisenhower popularity with the
voters has finally been demonstrated
at the Ohioan's expense. Senator Taft,
while campaigning in New Hampshire.
said repeatedly that the presidential
preferential contest was the real test,
and he and his campaign managers
claimed they would win it, or run so
close that the myth Of Gen. Eisenhower's
appeal to the voters would be exploded.
Nothing like that happened.
President Truman, VINO has declined
to tell whether he is to be candidate
or not for reelection. has finally got-
ten himself into an embarrassing posi-
ton, If he is planning not to run. II
he says no." after the announcement
Of Senator Russell Of Georgia that he.
Russell. will be a candidate and after
the humiliating defeat administered by
Mr.. Kefauver in New Hampshire, Mr..
Truman viii be charged with having
seen the handwriting on the wall. So EN-
barrassing that some of his friends are
now saying the President will have to
run.
May Have to Act Quickly.
Also, the President may have to make
his statement much quicker than he
had planned. The irritating Mr.. Ke.
fauver. who declines to be frowned down
or knocked down. is going right ahead
in his effort to roll up delegates to
and to demonstrate that he has real
support among the rank and file Of
the Democratic voters.
He is entered in the Wisconsin, Me-
braska Illinois, Ohio, New Jersey, Mary
land and Oregon primaries. and is con-
sidering entering the California and
Florida primaries. It is possible he
may do well in these primaries, so well
that he may make it difficult for an
other Democratic candidate. If the Pres
ident has one in mind, to gain much
headway before the national conven-
ton. So the President will have to
make UP his mind whether he Is to run
himself or whether he will back. say.
Gov. Adlai Stevenson Of Illinois, whom
he seems to favor. He will have to
tell, too. The "eye-wash" idea Of these
primaries, which the President adj
vanced some weeks ago, did not 60
over well. f'
Nar T;sarbou,a~s~ NJax, ryoc,r.h;~~
victory is likely to have an impact on
the Republican county, district and
State conventions where delegates are
selected to 60 to the Republican
National Convention Political steam
rollers, which have seemed set to roll
for Senator Taft, may be found to lack
steam.
Entered in Three Others.
The generals name. moreover, has
been entered in three other primaries.
where the candidates consent is not
demanded-Ne Jersey, Oregon. and
Pennsylvania. He Is expected to run
strongly in all three. He locks horns
directly with Senator Taft in New Jer-
sey on April Is. A strong Eisenhower
organization is already building up
there. It is expected to include Gov.
Driscoll. who has made no secret Of
his support for Gen. Eisenhower. The
Ohio Senator has, to be sure, some of the
professionals in his corner. as he had
in New Hampshire. Senator Taft has
been able to stay out Of the Oregon
primary-merely because the petitions
were filed improperly. In that primary in
addition to that of Gen. Eisenhower, the
names Of Gov. Warren of California,
Harold Stassen, Senator Morse of Ore.
gon and Gen. Macarthur have all been
entered. Senator Morse is out for Gen.
Eisenhower and will run as q delegate
pledged to the general
The results in the New Hampshire
primary have not been final in the
selection of presidential nomineeS-not
by jugfull. But the psychological
effect has been great. Mr.. Taft will
have an opportunity to strengthen his
chances in the Wisconsin primary,
where he has the support of so-called
Republican big brass. In that contest,
on April /, he will not have Eisenhower
as contender. His opponents will be
Gov. Warren and Mr.. Stassen, who
should effectually divide the Taft oppo-
sition. He is entered in the Illinois
primary against Mr.. Stassen, and there,
too, he is expected to win. It will take
couple Of such shots in the arm to
help him recover from the New Hamp-
shire jolt.