Evening star., 1952-03-23
Taft Candles in Nebraska;
Eisenhower Forces Confident
By Gould Lincoln
Star Staff Correspondent

- W 80 -
By Gould Linco'n
stor Staff Correspondent
LINCOLN. Nebr., Mar. 22.-Ne-
braSka'S presidential primary,
Ipitchforked into the limelight over
the week end, may turn out to be
"a political bone-cruSher for some
of the candidates. And this is how:
1.-The Tart campaign man
ayers, gambling to get back
prestige lost by the Ohio Senator,
lin the New Hampshire and Min
nesota primaries have decided to
put on a Taft write-in vote
campaign. The Eisenhower people
are expected to meet the chal-
lenge with a drive of their own. IF
Senator Taft can win over the
general in this contest, and at
the same time does well in the
Wisconsin primary. both Of which
are on April /, it would put hirp
back in the picture as the man
who must be stopped.
Fear Terrific Blow
Should Senator Taft run behind
Gen. Eisenhower in the contest
here, some Nebraska politicians.
even supporters of the Senator
say it would be q terrific blow.
Their opinions are based on the
lcontention that. Nebraska is strong
Taft territory. It would be proof
that the Ohioan is not invincible
lin this midwest territory. The
Taft people forsee victory. Gen.
Eisenhower's hackers say only that
lit will be close.
2. The Democratic presidential
primary has two formal entrants,
Senator Kefauver OF Tennessee
and Senator Kerr of Oklahoma.
Both are actively campaigning.
Senator Kefauver comes here
flushed with victory in the New
Hampshire primary and aided, too.
by the large write-in vote he won
in Minnesota. Nebraska will be
the first test of Kerr strength
toutside of his own State.
Kefauver Risking Much.
A defeat for Senator Kefauver
would rock the coonskin cap Sena-
tor on his heels. but would by no
means floor him. It would also,
presumably, place Senator Kerr in
the good graces Of President Tru-
man. For Senator Kerr has an
Inounced he is for Mr.. Truman if
the President decides to run again.
A Kerr victory. therefore, would
be viewed as a Truman victory,
lin a measure, over Senator Ke-
fauver who defeated him in New
Hampshire.
Should Senator Kerr lose, how
ever, it would be a blow from
which he might we'll never recover.
Observers say that Senator Kefau-
yer has the edge and should win.
3. Harold E. Stassen. former
Governor Of Minnesota, who re-
Gently carried his own home State
presidential primary, though by
only about 10000 over the big
Iwrite-in vote for Gen. Eisenhower,
lis the only major Republican pres
idential candiate entered formally
in the primary.
"Fav0rite Daughter" Entered.
Mrs. Mary Kenny, a supporter
of Gen. Macarthur. is entered as
Ia "favorite-daughter" candidate
for Gen. Macarthur. Macarthur
supporters are urged to vote for
her, and an appeal has been made
by John Chapple Of Ashland, Wis,
president Of the Fighters-for-
Macarthur, to the Taft people to
disregard the Taft write-in cam
Ipaign and vote for Mrs. Kenny.
| Mr.. Stassen, with his name
firmly on the ballot. may win the
primary over Taft and Eisenhower
write-in votes. He won the Ne
braska presidential primary in
1948 over Gov. Dewey of New
York and Senator Taft. However.
Mr.. Stassen's strength in this
State is not as great as II was four
years ago. Since his vote is re-
garded as an anti-Taft vote, it
might well divide the Taft oppo-
sition, and give the Ohio Senator
an advantage over Gen. Eisen-
hover.
One Thing In Common.
The Eisenhower and Kefauver
campaigns in Nebraska have one
thing in common. Each is being
made against the party machine.
Gen. Eisenhower will be bucking
1.-THE organization headed by Sena-
tor Butler, with whom Republican
National Committeeman Abel ".
Shotwell of Omaha is firmly allied.
Senator Kefauver. in the DEM
ocratic primary, is opposed by the
Organization headed by James F.
IQuigley, Democratic national COM
lmitteeman, and Bernard j. Boyle
Iof Omaha. This is the organiza-
ltion which invited Senator Kerr
into the primary.
, Signs point today to a much
larger tournout of voters than had
been expected. Registration in
both Omaha and Lincoln. the
States two largest cities, is higher
than it ever was before. Much new
Registration has been placed on
q the books, which indicates an un-
! usual interest In the primary.
Other Interest in Race.
Il Much interest in the primary
iIcenters around the contests for
xIthe Republican nominations for
United States Senator and fol-
. Governor. Senator Butler himself