Evening star., 1952-08-26
The PoiitieolMM
Democrats Will Watch
Eisenhower's Trip South
Are Anxious to See What Kind
Of Reception General Gets
The Political Min

Are ANXIOUS to See What Kind
Of Reception General Gets
By Gould Lincoln
The battle for the South takes on
added interest In the light of the
Eisenhower campaign trip into Alabama,
Arkansas, Florida and Georgia next
week. The Republican presidential can
didate will make his bid for votes in
a half dozen Southern cities-three of
them in Florida-during his two-day
swing. Such trip by @. o. P. nominee
is unprecedented. If the "solid South"
is to be cracked this year, it will be by
Gen. Eisenhower-notb by an independent
Democrat. as was Gov. Thurmond of
South Carolina when he carried his
own State. Mississippi. Louisiana and
Alabama against Mr.. Truman four years
ago.
II there is real Eisenhower support
among Southern voters, as was claimed
at the time Of the Republican National
Convention, 1t should come to the surface
during the generals tour. In recent
weeks. however, Southern Democratic
leaders have indicated they would sup
port Gov. Adlai Stevenson of Illinois
in the presidential race and the Demo-
cratic high command has breathed more
freely. It expects the rank-and-file
Southern voters to do what comes
naturally" It seems reasonable to
expect they will-unless there should
be q real revolt.
Gov. Stevenson apparently has given
the Southern leaders reason to believe
he will not be as ferocious for the en-
actment of compulsory Federal FEPC
as President Truman has been. There
fore, they have not spoken out violently
against the Stevenson-Sparkman ticket.
Either that, or they are waiting for
ground swell in their States which would
insure an Eisenhower victory and q
Stevenson defeat. Originally. these
Southern Democratic leaders had ex-
pected Gen. Eisenhower to be nominated
to run against President Truman.
Objective Accomplished.
When Mr.. Truman withdrew. q great
deal Of the fire and explosive qualities
of the situation went out of the window.
The Southerners had accomplished their
principal objective-to get rid of Mr..
Truman. Then Gov. Stevenson was
nominated. The Illinois Governor had
previously stated he believed that the
civil rights issues should be left to the
individual States. This tickled the
Southern leaders, even though he added
that if the States did nothing about
these issues, then the Federal Govern
ment might have to step in.
Since Gen. Eisenhower is planning to
spend both time and money IN the
South, it is clear he has not entirely
given up hope he may get some electoral
votes there. Not only is he making his
first extensive campaign trip into that
region, but he is planning to return
later on--if he gets any encouragement
at all. He is expected to go into Vir-
ginia, for example, and surely to Texas.
Both of those States. it is believed, hold
real Eisenhower sentiment Certainly
there is dislike for Gov. Stevenson in
both of them. Senator Byrd of Virginia
has looked skeptically on the Stevenson
nomination, and the addition Of Senator
Sparkman of Alabama to the party's
national ticket did little to soften the
Virginia Senator. The outspoken attack
on Stevenson by Gov. Shivers Of Texas,
on the oil tidelands issue, helps Ike there.
Anxious About Reception.
Gen. Eisenhower has an advantage in
the South over Republican presidential
candidates of the past To the average
Southerner, he is q national. not Q sec
tional figure. He was born In Texas, al-
though he comes Of a Kansas family. His
career in the Army tended further to
IHvv wi inf
and Republican flavor. Like other
Americans, the Southerners have re-
garded him as great military leader.
They themselves and their sons served
under Gen. Eisenhower.
So the Democrats eye Eisenhower's
foray into the South with some uncer-
tainty They do not believe they have
much to fear. On the other hand, they
are as anxious to see what kind of recep-
ton he gets as are the Republicans. On
that reception. probably, will depend
very largely the amount Of time and
money Gov. Stevenson and his sup
porters will spend in the South, too.
Rarely has it been considered necessary
for any Democratic presidential nominee
to make an extensive campaign below
the Mason and Dixon's line.
It is understood, however, that several
Southern trip schedules are under con-
sideration by Gov. Stevenson and his
advisers. some of them extensive and
others less SO. No decision in the matter
is expected until after Gen. Eisenhower
has made his Southern trip. One Of the
things which the Stevenson managers
must consider is the possibility their
candidate might be led into making
some statement on Federal FEPC which
either would injure him in the South or
kill him in some of the States Of the
North and Middle West.
Questions and Answers