Evening star., 1952-08-23

becomes D0mInQnt issue
Stevenson ReoIIy Stubbed Toe
In Letter to Editor
By Gould Lincoln
GREENWICH, Conn.,, Aug. 23-"The
Washington mess" always slated for an
important place in the coming presiden-
tial campaign, has. at least temporarily.
brushed aside other issues and become
dominant. Gov. Adlai Stevenson really
Stubbed his toe when he recognized, in
writing, the corruption which has existed
in Federal agencies and, in effect, said he
could clean up the mess" It was in
conceivable that President Truman
would take this lying down. He didn't.
The net result is Truman versus Ste
venSon on the Washington mess, with
Mr.. Truman denying there is any such
thing and Gov. Stevenson promising to
clean it up. Could anything be pleasanter
for Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower and the
Gov. StevenSon's admission
that mess" does exist in Washington
is devastating weapon in the hands Of
the G. o. p. His attempted explanation
of his letter to the editor of the Oregon
Journal is clearly evasive and lame and
halting. Indeed, even as he tried to get
out from under the charge he had ad-
mitted the washington mess" by saying
he was merely quoting language used by
Tom Humphrey, the editor, Gov. Ste
venSon admitted that "it has existed"
His suggestion that several people-not
many-have been indicted seemed to
indicate he did not consider the mess
very bad. In his letter to Mr.. Humphrey
he had pointed to his record of cleaning
house as Governor of Illinois.
Different Kettle of Fish.
The mess in Washington, however, is
q different political kettle of fish. 1t
has occurred in a Democratic adminis-
tration, whereas the mess which Steven
son says he cleaned up in Springfield
was blamed on a Republican State ad-
miniStration. When the Democratic
nominee for President admits there's
mess in the house of his Democratic
President in Washington. and when he
will owe the supporters of that admins
tration his election to the White House
if he wins in November-how is he ever
going to cut the throats of those Tru-
NANTES?
President Truman has already shown
he does not propose to have his admin
istration repudiated by this new national
leader of the Democratic Party. Not by
a jugful. The President naturally is
Jealous of the position he will hold in
history. He heard many party leaders
last winter and spring declare that
Harry Truman would 60 down in history
as one of the great Presidents OF the
United States. Further, he could have
won denomination by merely saying, i
choose to run" So the present effort Of
the Stevenson leaders to ditch him and
his administration and to make of Gov.
Stevenson a new cleanup man. unbe-
holden in any way to the Truman outfit,
is poison to him. It's wonder Mr.. Tru-
man has not already taken his pen in
hand and written Gov. Stevenson one Of
his famous letters.
The President has said what nearly
every one must have known-that Gov.
Stevenson would have to make his run
for the presidency on the record OF the
Roosevelt and Truman adminlstra-
tions, particularly the latter admins
tration. Further, Mr.. Truman has pic
tured himself as the dominating figure
in the coming campaign. The incident
threatens to make extreme bad feeling
between the Truman and Stevenson fol-
lowers, and also between the two men.
Nor does it give the American people any
great hope that Gov. Stevenson will be
able to "clean up" the washington
mess"
Looks With No Favor on Stand.
There has been an effort, too, in DEM
ocratic quarters to picture Gov. Steven
son as a sound, middle-of-the-road man.
not likely to go TO the extremes OF the
Fair Deal program, including the COM
pulsory Federal FEPC. President Iru-
man looks with no favor on such stand
by the Democratic presidential nominee.
It is Mr.. Truman'S contention tnat MS
program won for him in the l948 cam
paign, and that it can win for Steven
son in 1852, provided Gov. Stevenson
does not ditch important parts OF 1t.
Probably it is only human for Presi-
dent to wish to tell new candidate
what he should do during his campaign
and after his election. Historic exam-
ples were those of Theodore Roosevelt
who wanted to tell William Howard TAFT
to carry on his policies after Taft had
been elected President and Alfred E.
Smith, Governor Of New York, VINO
wanted to tell Franklin D. Roosevelt. his
successor, how to administer the Empire
States affairs.
President Taft and Gov. Roosevelt did
not take kindly to the efforts OF their
predecessors in their respective ofnces
The results were bitter feuds between
Taft and Roosevelt, and between Roose-
velt and Smith. The situation now
building up between Truman and Ste
yenson could become companion piece
for these earlier feuds.
0uae4;one and AnswerS