Evening star., 1952-11-08
The Political Mill
Nation Awaits Choice
Of Eisenhower Cabinet
General Suid to Be Skilled
At Picking the Right Men
By Gould Lincoln

BY Gould Lincoln
The country looks forward with tre-
mendous interest to the cabinet selec.
tions of Gen. Eisenhower, President
elect. The caliber of the men he names
will have much to do with the atmos-
phere in WaShington-and in the coun.
try-when the Eisenhower adminiStra-
ton takes over. It has been said that
Gen. Eisenhower is past master at
picking the right men for the right
offices. The country will expect him,
also. to pick men for important posts
in whom it, as we'll as he, can have
confidence. 1t will not expect Gen.
Eisenhower to appoint men to high
office for political purposes, or to pay
political debts.
The men who have been closest to
Gen. Eisenhower say emphatically no
promise, or offer, of any political post
was made by Gen. Eisenhower to any
man prior to the election. They admit,
however, that overtures looking to such
promises were made by the friends of
some hardy aspirants. All such over
lures were turned down.
It is to be expected that Gen. EiSen-
hover will turn to the men with the best
brains and administrative ability. And
it is believed he will not be turned
down. The country still faces ter
rifically serious world situation. Ger
tainly none of the leaders of his own
party may be expected to refuse service
if he asks it of them.
Greatest Interest in State.
The greatest interest centers, Of
course, in choice of Secretary of State.
The State Department is the instru-
ment through which the President Of
the United States handles the foreign
relations of this country. It's head is his
principal adviser on foreign policy
along with the chairman of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee. It is ex-
pected that Gen. Eisenhower will offer
the post to a man who goes along with
his own ideas on foreign policy-ideaS
which he did not surrender during the
campaign, although his opponents tried
hard to make it appear he was the
captive of the so-called isolationists
in the Republican Party.
Immediately Gov. Dewey of New York
springs to mind as a man who would
fill the bill-the Office of Secretary Of
State. Gov. Dewey has taken a keen
interest in the foreign affairs of the
Nation. 1t was he who sent John Foster
Dulles to take part in the Dumbarton
Oaks conferences on foreign policy
years ago and who had big part in
the development Of the so-called biz
partisan foreign policy, which went for
ward under the great leadership of the
late Senator Arthur Vandenberg of
Michigan. During the last year, Gov.
hn 6n NJ
the Far East and its problems, at first
hand. It has been Mr.. Dewey's own de-
sire to finish out his present term as
Governor, and then to get into the pri-
vate practice of law. Further, Gov.
Dewey has himself been the choice of his
party on two occasions for the presi-
dency. This circumstance might affect
his decision in the matter of entering
the Eisenhower cabinet, if the Office
were offered.
John Foster Dulles and Paul Hoff-
man, former head of the Foreign Eco
nomic Administration, both have had
experience in dealing with foreign af-
fairs. Mr.. Dulles likely would have been
Secretary of State had Gov. Dewey been
elected in 1948. Mr.. Hoffman has been
an ardent supporter of Gen. Eisenhower
for the presidency. Senator Henry Cabot
Lodge, jr., of Massachusetts. who man.
aged Gen. Eisenhower's campaign for
the presidential nomination and who
has just been defeated for reelection,
has served as a member of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee. He was
a strong supporter of the late Senator
Vandenberg when the latter was the
Republican spokesman on foreign policy.
Discussed for Defense Post.
discussed as a probable Secretary Of
Defense in the Eisenhower cabinet. The
Massachusetts, Senator not only has
been a student of national defense
from a military as well as from a
foreign policy point of view, but he
resigned from the Senate during the
Second World War in order to serve in
the Army. He saw service in both
Africa and Europe.
There are those who would have
Gen. Eisenhower make use of the great
talents and experience of Gen. Douglas
Macarthur. possibly as Secretary Of
Defense. Gen. Macarthur supported
Senator Taft of Ohio for the presi-
dental nomination against Gen. Eisen-
hover. And although Gen. Macarthur
was the keynote speaker and temporary
chairman of the Republican National
Convention which nominated Gen.
Eisenhower, Gen. Macarthur declared
himself out of politics and never said
a word publicly in support of Gen.
Eisenhower during the entire campaign
now closed.