Evening star., 1952-03-09
Oho's Mr. Republican Is Making the Run Of His Life

fused to send out anything but
banShee walls. After haSty con-
ference with advisers, Taft turned
his back on this faithless p. A.
microphone and borrowed the one
that had been booming the Eisen-
hover show. It was nice touch:
"The use of this Eisenhower mike"
Senator Taft said, "iS proof that
the Republicans are all friendly to-
gether and that this is a friendly
contest"
Highway Greeting
OF again through the snowy
passes of the White Mountains, the
Taft party raced to Northumberland
sixth stop of the day. It was not
yet 3 o'clock. A few miles North of
Moultonborough the caravan came
across a school bus loaded with
homeward- bound children. The bus
stopped; the candidate stopped.
The candidate entered the bus.
Soberly said hello and good-by to
its 20 sub-adolescent occupants and
continued on his way.
Taft's sense of proportion - in
avoiding overly hammy situations
slipped at the next stop, Chocorua.
A woman who breeds husky dogs
for a living had a dog sled and
team waiting for the candidate.
Taft climbed aboard the sled, sat
there a few seconds looking Sheep
ish, and got of. He did not pat the
dogs.
The next whistle-stop was Con-
way, more or less the ski capital
OF the Mount Washington area.
Here, at AIS pm, he confronted
one OF his two biggest crowds of
the day. More than 1000 people
Jammed the high school auditorium
for a real political production.
complete with an 18-piece high
school band which played patriotic
airs with enthusiasm and only a
few fiat notes.
No CocktoiIs
A reception for the Senator and
the press followed the speechifying
at the high school. Taft appeared
briefly, did not join in the demoli-
ton of the cocktail collation., and
went upstairs for a few minutes.
1t was a long, 42-mile haul from
Conway to Berlin, where a busy
evening was to follow Taft's busy
DAY. He arrived in the smoky mill
town about 6:45, and went to the
guest house of the Brown Co.. a
paper-making concern that sup-
plies most of the jobs in Berlin.
AT o'clock Taft appeared again.
at the Berlin High School audi
torlum. OF the 1,040 seats in the
nall, only a couple of dozens were
empty. At this meeting, the candi-
date uttered perhaps the most
startling words of the day: This"
ne began, lis the first speech have
made in the New Hampshire
primary campaign"
Taft spoke for slightly more than
half an hour, and then took ones
tions from the audience. AS they
usually do, the queries came SLOWLY
at first, but the meeting warmed up
later. BY the time 10 o'clock rolled
around, some of the party was get
ting weary.
Nightcop Tour
But not Bob Taft. Undaunted bv
his 14-hour day, so far, he went to
the Brown Co.'s mill, where paper
towels are made, toured the plant
unoer the guidance of the union
shop steward - another score for
BOD Taft, friend of labor - and
shook several hundred hands.
1t was after II. o'clock before the
tour was over. Finally, after talking
politics with intimates for half an
hour or SO, he turned out the lights
and went to sleep.
1t was HAS.
Friday morning, he was to. be up
again at 6, this time for a swing
through the Western part of New
Hampshire - and back to Man
chester for an evening speaking
date. On Saturday, the tour would
take him into the southeastern part
OF the State, near the ocean. and
then. back to Cnncnrd fo.