Evening star., 1952-04-12
The Political Mill:
Eisenhower's Return
Spurs Hope Of Victory
Effective Impact on UnpIedged
Delegates Is Foreseen
By Gould Lincoln

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Gen. Dwight d. Eisenhower is leaving
his post in Europe and returning to the
United States about June five weeks
before the convening of the Republican
National Convention in Chicago. Nearly
all of the delegates to the Republican
National Convention will have been
elected by the time the general sets foot
in this country. Many of them will
have been pledged or promised to Gen.
Eisenhower, to Senator Taft of Ohio.
to Gov. Warren of California. to Harold
E. Stassen of Minnesota, or to Gen.
Douglas Macarthur.
There will still remain, however, a
good many unpledged, unpromiSed dele
gates. uninstructed delegates-probably
a sufficient number to swing the Repub-
lican presidential nomination to Eisen-
hover or to Taft. 1t is on those dele
gates the impact of Gen. Eisenhower'S
leadership and announcements on pub
lie issues may have final and decisive
effect.
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts. ma
tional campaign manager for the Eisen-
hower-for- President forces, has MAIN
tained all along that the general can be
and will be nominated by the Republic
can National Convention whether he re-
turns to this country or not.
Hometown Appearance.
A host of the generals supporters.
however. are genuinely gratifled Eisen-
hover is to be here in person. They do
not visualize or expect a whistle stop
campaign by the general across and up
and down the country in those weeks
before the convention. They do, how
ever, expect Eisenhower to make an
early appearance in his old home town.
Abilene, Kans. Indeed, he is said to have
promised to make such visit. 1t is
presumed that delegations from many
of the neghboring States will attend
that meeting.
1t would be natural. too, his support
ers say, that the general should go to
Columbia University in New York. Of
which he is still president. and to Penn
Sylvania where he owns farm, and to
Colorado where his wifes family resides.
All these visits, they believe, will give
opportunity for expression of the gen.
erals views on important issues before
the country.
Also, the Eisenhower managers say,
the general will have opportunity to
visit with delegates who have been
elected to the national convention, both
those who are uninStructed and those
who have been pledged in some manner
to himself and to other candidates.
They count strongly on Gen. Ike's per-
SuaSiveneSs.
Those supporters of Eisenhower who a
year ago started work to obtain the Re-
publican nomination for the general and
were told that (a) he was not Republi-
can, Cb) that he was not a candidate
and would not be available, and (c)
that he would not come home. are
shouting aloud their vindication.
Three States Vote After June 1.
In three States, California. South Da-
kota and Indiana, the delegates to the
Republican National Convention will
not yet have been chosen on June /. The
California delegation will be picked June
3, and this big delegation will be firmly
in the pocket of Gov. Warren. Gov.
Warren, however. has indicated that if
he finds he is not likely to be nominated
himself, he will release these 10 dele
gates. Warren is not, he has indicated,
in favor of the nomination of Senator
Taft of Ohio. South Dakota picks its
delegates also in primary June 3, ID
in number; while Indiana, with 80 dele
gates, does not elect them until the Re-
publican State convention meets July 3.
Gen. Eisenhower presumably will come
to Washington to make a final report
to President Truman on the job he has
been doing in Europe. Under his leader
ship the forces for the defense of West.
ern Europe against aggression have been
greatly strengthened. He will return,
therefore. popular figure. His OPP
ponents will have their opportunity to
question him on many issues-and they
will
There is no assurance, however that
when they receive their answers that
Gen. Eisenhower will be less figure or
less popular. In fact. the betting is the
other way.