Evening star., 1952-01-03
The Political Mil
Eisenhower and Truman
Moves in Race Waited
List Of 1852 Candidates
Could Broaden Quickly
RY Gould Lincoln

As of today. the 1852 presidential race
still features Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower,
NATO commander, and Senator Robert
A. Taft of Ohio on the Republican hand,
and President Harry S. Truman on the
Democratic hand. Senator Taft, Gov.
Warren of California and former Gov.
Harold z. Stassen of Minnesota have
formally announced they would enter
the lists for the Republican presidential
nomination, and Senator Estes Kefau-
yer of Tennessee has indicated he will
get into the race for the Democratic
nomination. If Mr.. Truman finally says
he will not run, number of other prom
inent Democrats will file.
Mr.. Trumans latest word, as relayed
by Representative Hays, Democrat, OF
Ohio, is that he will try to work some
thing out before February 6, the last
date for filing pledged delegate states
in the. Ohio presidential preferential
primary so that the Democrats In Ohio
may have an opportunity to enter a
Truman slate, or Kefauyer slate, or
slate pledged to some other potential
nominee. In recent years, the Ohio
Democrats have contented themselves
with indorsing favorite-son candidate.
knowing full well that when the conven-
ton met the delegation would transfer
its allegiance without delay to the man
in the White House.
Mr.. Hays said, too, that he wanted to
support Senator Kefauver If Mr.. Tru-
man was not going to run, and added
he had suggested to Senator kefauver
that he go down to the White House to
talk things over with the President. Mr..
Hays reported the President entirely
willing to have such meeting. This
might mean that the President was
ready to tell Mr.. Kefauver to go right
ahead and make the race, and that. In
turn, might mean that the President was
not going to run, but leave the field open.
Whatever the correct Interpretation, 1t
now appears likely that the voters will
get a statement from the President early
this election year.
Some of Gen. Eisenhower's supporters
insist that the general may be expected
to saw whether he is available as a can
didate early in February. too. So far.
however, no such promise has been pub
licly made by Gen. Eisenhower. There is
a battle among his supporters as to
JuSb WIlCu 1lc VI AAdoo, NOAAS OAs
as candidate if he is to win. Some
of them maintain that the longer no
holds off the better.
Senator Taft has the backing Of many
of the professional politicians in the Re-
publican Party-but by no means all.
More of them have announced for the
Ohio Senator than for Gen. Eisenhower
but still very large number have not
announced at all, but are waiting. The
Taft managers and particularly his CAM
paign leader, David S. ingalls, OF Cleve-
land, are making great claims OF Taft
strength, both among the delegates-all
of whom are still to be selected-and
among the run-of -the-mine voters. Mr..
Ingalls, bases his claims on a number OF
polls taken in various cities by news
papers and by various public-pulse-feel-
ing agencies. Those quoted give Mr.. Taft
wide preference margins. Much, too, Is
made of the fact that Senator Taft was
reelected in 1850 with lead Of 100000
votes. Whether Mr.. Taft's vote-getting
strength in other States is on par with
his Ohio strength is still another question
and also whether he could carry Ohio
for President. 1t may be remembered that
Gov. Dewey, in 1946, was reelected Gov
ernor of New York with lead Of more
than 687, 900 votes over his Democratic
opponent, former Senator Mead. But
when Gov. Dewey ran in 1948 for Presi-
dent, he was defeated, and also he only
held the electoral votes of New York
because Henry Wallace, running as an
independent Progressive, took enough
votes away from Mr.. Truman to leave
Gov. Dewey plurality.
Mr.. Taft may be said to have the
hard, conservative core Of the Republican
Party with him; President Truman,
the hard radical core of the Democratic
Party, and Gen. Eisenhower has the
liberal Republicans the more conserva-
tive Democrats, and great many Of
the independent voters. If nominated,
Gen. Eisenhower should win.