Evening star., 1952-07-29
Truman Is Informed
Symington Has Edge
Over His Candidate
By Joseph A. Fox
Stor SioH correspondeps

StoT StoH Correspondent
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, July o.
President Truman was getting
some State political news not en-
tirely to his liking today as he
continued his brief holiday in
jackson County while awaiting
next Tuesdays primary.
Mr.. Truman is an avowed sup
porter Of State Attorney General
j. E. (Buck) Taylor, whose bid
for the Democratic senatorial
nomination is being challenged
by Stuart Symington, former
Truman air secretary and RFC
head-and Missouri political OBJ
servers are inclined to give Mr..
Symington the edge in an ad-'
mittedly tough fight.
The st. Louis vote, strongly
pro-Symington,, promises to be
heavy, and here in Kansas City,
where the James Pendergast
machine forces are lined up be-
hind Mr.. Taylor, the curbstone
experts are saying that the
Presidents choice may do no bet
ter than break even despite claims
by his hackers of a $4,000 ma
jority. That would be fatal.
Previous SetbackS Recalled.
If Mr.. Taylor Is defeated in a
year in which many feel that
Democratic nomination will be
equivalent to election. it will
mark the third time in six years
that President Truman has sup
ported a loser. He "purged"
Representative Slaughter in the
Kansas City district, in 1916, only
to see his choice, Enos Axtell,
lose to a Republican. In 1850. he
backed State Senator Emery ALI
son for the Senate, and former
Representative Tom @. Hennings
took the primary and went on to
win in November.
The Senate seat at stake this
time is held by Senator KEN. Re-
publican-the same which Mr..
Truman formerly occupied.
The President presumably got
an earful on the situation yester-
day when he spent several hours
in his Muehlebach Hotel pent-
house quarters, and saw a long
list OF visitors. The group was
made up of several figures familiar
In any Truman visit here, includ-
ing his brother, j. Vivian Tru-
man; Thomas J. Gavin, the Tru-
man national convention alter
nate, who had a moment of glory
in Chicago while Mr.. Truman's|
presidential choice was a matter
of guesswork; Tom Evans, Kansas
City businessman and Democratic
fund raiser, and Representative
Boiling, Democrat, whose district
takes in most of Kansas City.
Gavin Attends Luncheon.
Mr.. Gavin was in the small
luncheon party at which the
President presided, as was Miss
Mary Jane Truman, the PreSi-
dents sister. Mr.. Gavin insisted
that no politics were discussed.
j. Vivian Truman had the same
report-with tongue-in- check.
While the President has en-
phasized his interest in the sena-
torial primary. he,has had nothing
to say about other race
Word out of Chicago that the
President would be one of the
big Four" of the Democrats
oratorical brigade seems to At in
nicely with Mr.. Truman's earlier
announced plans to carry on his
back platform technique wher-
ever desired. He has tentatively
accepted an invitation to speak
at the national plowing contest
in Rochester, Mimi, early in Sep
tember, and Representative Mans
field of Montana, who is seeking
a Senate seat, has asked the Presi-
dent into his State for the Hun
gry-Horse Dam dedication.
It was at the national blowing
contest in Dexter, Iowa. that the
President made his first-and sue
cessful- bid for the farm vote in
1948.
While the President is taking
1t as easy as possible. he still
had a lot of paper work to deal
with yesterday, and spent several
hours handling correspondence.