Evening star., 1952-05-17
The Political Min
TuftMucArthur Axis
Revealed Completely
GeneruI Needless of VuIue
Of Independent Voters
By Gould Lincoln

The Taft-MacArthur axis, which has
been counted upon to stop Gen. Dwight
D. Eisenhower in his quest Of the Re-
publican presidential nomination, is
now completely revealed. In q speech
which Gen. Macarthur said was not in
tended to be political, the general
took to task the Eisenhower campaign
ers because they have sought support
from Democrats and, presumably, from
others not registered within the Re-
publican Party. This, according to Gen.
Macarthur. was threat to the two
party system and to representative gov
eminent.
The argument. however. does not take
into account the desire Of voters. no
matter in what party they are reg
istered or whether they are independent
Of party. Take look at the situation
in Massachusetts,. for example, where
there are GA, 900 registered Republicans.
$4,000 registered Democrats and 1.100.-
900 independents. It is incredible any
one should urge that, in presidential
preferential primary in the Bay State,
such as recently occurred, the huge
number of Independents should be ig-
nored, and the Republican candidate
should be picked by the registered Re-
publicans alone. If the candidate so
selected makes no appeal to these in
dependents-or to the DemocratS-it'S
o foregone conclusion Massachusetts
will be in the Democratic column on
election day. Yet there have been pro-
tests from Taft supporters that the
Independents and Democrats infiltrated
the Republican primary and carried it
overwhelmingly for Eisenhower.
SaltonstaII Put Case Bluntly.
Senator Saltonstan Of Massachusetts,.
an Eisenhower supporter. put it simply
but bluntly when he said: 1--WE should
direct our message not alone to party
members Republican Party. We should
not-We just must not-go around Shak-
ing hands with ourselves. We must ap-
peal to that great mass of independent
thinkers and disguised Democrats who
have become so bewildered in recent
years and who are still looking hopefully
for party Of integrity and clear direc-
tion."
To put 1t another way, the Taft-Mac-
Arthur people apparently believe that
some OF the voters. because they are not
registered Republicans, should abstain
from voting in contests for the Repub-
lican presidential nomination-but on
election day in November should step up
to the ballot box and cast a vote for
Senator Taft, If he be the party nomi-
nee. It doesn't seem to make sense.
AS it happens, Senator Taft has won
in at least two presidential primaries.
Wisconsin and Nebraska, with less than
q q inYitu nf tho vpnfo
E. StaSsen remained out of the WiScon-
sin primary. and Senator Taft had faced
Gov. Warren of California alone, the
probabilities are Taft would not have
carried that primary at all. The COM
bined Warren and Stassen vote there
was about $4,000 greater than the vote
for Taft. Eisenhower was not entered
IN this primary. and Stassen and War
rem divided the Eisenhower vote.
Sentiment In Nebraska.
Senator Seaton of Nebraska, where
Taft won in the primary with 46 per
cent Of the vote cast, is now predicting
that half or more of the Nebraska dele
gates to the Republican National
Convention will be found voting for Gen.
Eisenhower on the second ballot, and
OAAdV oOAuc VI WILL VOLe ElSCn.
hover on the first ballot. Mr.. Seaton,
who previously had not come out for
Eisenhower. has entered the campaign
to nominate the general for President.
He insists that Eisenhower sentiment is
growing in Nebraska, and adds that "he
clearly is the choice of the so-called in
dependent voters. without whom the
Republicans cannot win since they are,
today. the minority party"
The Macarthur axis first aim
is to nominate the Ohio Senator for
President. In the event of q deadlocked
convention, it might swing to Macarthur
and that is what many of Gen.
MacArthur'S supporters are hoping. The
general has repeatedly declared himself
not candidate-and has again and
again moved to keep his name out of
presidential primaries and contests for
delegates to the party's national con-
vention. Had he gone into the pre-
convention campaign as an active candi-
date. he might well have so split the
vote as to make it difficult for Senator
Taft to win in many Of these contests.
A deadlocked convention, however.
might find Gen. Macarthur available.
Nu>>as~