Evening star., 1952-01-31
The Political Mil
Toft Could Get Bad Blow
In New Hampshire Vote
Will Meet Eisenhower Forces
On Territory They Chose
By Gould Lincoln

Senator Bob Taft Of Ohio, coura-
geouS as always in his political cam.
paigning, has agreed to meet the
Eisenhower-for- President forces on ter
ritory Of their own choosing-the New
Hampshire primary for the selection Of
delegates to the Republican National
Convention and for the preference vote
for the presidential nomination. The
Ohio Senator could take black eye in
this contest-and should he fail in the
Wisconsin primary against Harold E.
Stassen the blow might be devastating.
MIR. Taft, however, Is going right
ahead in an effort to dispel the old
story he Is not strong with the rank
and-file voters. He could, had he wished
to do so. have refrained from going
into any primary State except his own,
Ohio, pleading the need for remaining
on the job in the Senate and relying
on the undoubted strength he has with
party leaders in many Of the States. Mr..
Taft has decided to have q showdown
with his opposition.
Foreign Policy Showdown, Too.
This showdown involves not only Mr..
Taft's personal strength with the voters
but also the foreign policy which he
favors. And how the primaries 60 and
how Mr.. Taft fares will have its effect
on the Republican Party's national plat
form, to be written at the Republican
National Convention next July. In
deed, one of the main issues between
Eisenhower and Taft is found In the
held Of foreign policy.
Gen. Eisenhower is definitely com.
mitted to the upbuilding Of the Western
European nations militarily and he is
now engaged on that task as supreme
commander Of the NATO forces. Mr..
Taft. on the other hand, not only
voted against the North Atlantic Sc
curity treaty when it was before the
Senate. largely on account Of the sug-
gestion Of armaments to be provided,
but he has strongly urged limitation
on the American land forces to be used
in the NATO armies. He wants limit.
too. on the American funds to be used
abroad. He has been inclined to 60
along with former President Hoover's
idea that the contribution of the United
States should be confined to air power
and to naval strength in opposition
to any threat Of Russian Communist
aggression. However, the Ohio Senator
has not proposed to cut of American
land forces for the NATO entirely.
Because Of his attitude, and because
OF some OF his advocates for the presi-
Dental nomination, Mr.. Taft has been
called nationalist" by some of his
opponents. and an "isolationist" by the
extremists.
q o1n1A TV1-R
has the same differences on foreign poll.
cleS with Mr.. StaSSen and with Gov.
Warren OF California, the two other
announced candidates for the Republican
presidential nomination.
Severe Critic on China Policy.
While Gen. Eisenhower has favored
the present efforts to upbuild Western
Europe militarily, he is known to be
severe critic of the policies Of the Roose-
velt and Truman administrations in the
Far East-policies which he contends
have resulted in the loss of China to
the Communists and in the Korean war.
In this position Gen. Eisenhower an.
parently goes along with Mr.. Taft.
However, Mr.. Taft has attacked the
administration because of the entry into
the Korean war at all-and there he
will find difference with Gen. Eisen-
hover who. 1t is said, believes, like Gen.
Douglas Macarthur, that our prompt
action in Korea was militarily wise.
What Gen. Eisenhower criticizes is those
steps at Yalta and Potsdam, and there
after, which helped to destroy the Chi
nese Nationalist government and played
into the hand of the Chinese Commu-
nists who were aided by Russia.
This issue Of foreign policy not only
divides Taft and Eisenhower, but it
divides in considerable measure the
Republican Party. The nomination of Mr..
Taft would throw the G. o. P. strongly
in opposition to the policies of Mr.. Tru.
man, If he becomes the Democratic
candidate again. The nomination of
Eisenhower would give the Republican
Party more internationalist tinge-
but 1t would by no means prevent a real
battle In the presidential campaign over
the foreign policy Of the Nation. with
particular emphasis on the mistakes Of
the administration In China.