Evening star., 1952-11-21

Acclaimed Wide|y,bui
Taft Refuses Comment
President-elect Eisenhower in
itial cabinet selections today
brought widespread expressions of
approval-but left the Taft wing
of the party little to cheer about.
Three preconvention supporters
of the general got the first mods:
John Foster Dulles, to be Secre-
tary of State; Charles E. Wilson,
president Of General Motors, for
Secretary of Defense, and Gov.
Douglas Mckay of Oregon, for
Secretary of Interior.
Neither Mr.. Wilson nor Gov.
Mckay had figured in much of
the early speculation surrounding
the cabinet makeup, but Mr..
Dulles always had been 'front.'
runner.
The three were early hackers
Of Gen. Eisenhower in his fight
with Senator Taft of Ohio for the
presidential nomination.
Taft Has No Comment.
Asked for his reaction to the
appointments. Senator Taft was
quoted by the Associated Press as
giving a curt mo comment" and
then adding:
why should I be asked to COM
ment on all appointments"
It was certain that the Ohio
Senator and his supporters would
be keeping a close eye on the six
remaining cabinet selections the
new administration must make, as
well as on other top appointments,
but quick Senate approval of the
entire Eisenhower slate was fore
cast. Customarily, the Senate
takes the view that a President
has the right to say who he wants
around him. although once in a
while furry is kicked up.
The Dulles appointment gen.
orally was received we'll abroad,
the Associated Press reported, but
French reaction, it was amplified,
could not be described as warm" +"
White House Also Silent.
The White House had nothing
to say, the attitude of presidential
aides being that the matter was
none of their business. 1t was
recalled. however. that President
Truman had leveled fire at Mr..
Dulles during the campaign. with
out directly naming his erStwhile
Asiatic foreign policy adviser. And
the Truman administration has
not been on the best of terms
with Mr.. Wilson.
Mr.. Dulles drafted the Repub-
Hcan foreign policy plank. While
he probably wouldn't have been
among Senator Taft's choices for
the State portfolio. the two men
share somewhat the same views
on the Importance of the Far East
In American policies and have
always got along well personally.
The three cabinet appoint
ments leave still to be filled the
berths at Treasury, Agriculture,
Commerce, Labor. Justice and
Post Office.
Morse Criticizes Appointments.
While Capitol Hill comment on
the cabinet choices generally was
complimentary, a discordant note
was sounded by Senator Morse,
Republican, of Oregon. who bolted
the Republican Party during the
campaign and now styles himself
as an independent in politics.
On the Dulles and Mckay ap-
pointments, he said:
II think they are very good ap-
pointments - for the reaction
aries"
Senator Sparkman of Alabama,
the Democratic nominee for Vice
President in the November elec-
ton. said he thought the choices
ION the whole are good"
II know Mr.. Dulles and 1 ad-
mire him greatly" Senator Spark
man said. He is a very able
man."
Mr.. Sparkman said he regards
Mr.. Wilson as lone of our great
industrial leaders, know of
nothing to stand in the way of
his confirmation
OF Gov. Mckay, he said: Il
know little about him. but what
I do know is good"
Knowland Is Pleased.
Senator Knowland, Republican,
OF California, candidate for ma
jority leader in the 83d Congress.
told newsmen he regards the ap-
pointments as excellent.
Gen. Eisenhower has picked
men of ability and capacity to do
the job" he said. II think the
appointments will be we'll received
in the country and in Congress.
Senator Welker, Republican, of
Idaho said Dulles knows the
mess in the State Department as
no one on the outside could, and
he has made it clear he wants to
see it cleaned up completely. 1
consider him the very best man
available"
Senator Hickenlooper, Republi-
can, of Iowa said: They are very
able men,"
Senator Gillette, Iowa, said he
had hoped Gen. Eisenhower would