Evening star., 1952-07-11

IbO IllIl py an a1Qc at MS llelC
headquarters, according to an ae-
count by Don Whitehead of the
A. p. a former war correspond
lent.
The generals aid quoted the
boss as exclaiming: "Baloney!
Why can't q simple soldier be
left alone to carry out his orders?
And ! furiouSly object to the
word candidate amt and ]
won't"
Yet movements to draft the
general persisted. despite his re-
peated disavowals. In 1948. there
were attempts to enter Ike's name
as a Democratic, as well as Re-
publican candidate. In January
of that year. he ended months OF
speculation by declaring himself
out in a letter to q supporter in
New Hampshire.
Gen. Ike then was serving as
president Of Columbia University
q post to which he was appointed
on his retirement from active duty
in the Army.
The general said he was "pro-
foundly touched" by the sugges-
tion that he could fill such a high
office if elected, but declared:
u viii not. at this time, iden-
Itify myself with any political
party, and could not accept NOM
nation for any political Office or
participate in a partisan political
contest"
Early in 1850, the general was
recalled to a temporary assign
ment as chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff. 1t seems prob
able he had hoped this would be
his last military assignment.
He had acquired a productive
farm near the battlefields of Get
tysburg. in the State where his
parents lived until they migrated
to the West in 1875. On the porch
Iof the comfortable farm house,
the general had hoped to rock
out my last days"
Another Difficult Assignment.
Yet Ike was to return to Europe
for one of the most difficult as
signments any general ever faced
in peace time. The preliminary
work of unifying a command in
Europe was over when the gen.
eral announced his decision oi
January z.
In a statement from Paris, the
61-year-old soldier put an end tc
the speculation surrounding his
plans for the future. At the sarS.
time Senator Lodge. Republican
of Massachusetts,, announced Ike.
name would be entered in the
March primary in New Hamp.
shire.
The Senator predicted, with
more accuracy than some politica
profits, that Ike would conduct 9
finish fight" to win the G. o. P
nomination at Chicago.
The combined statements re.
juvenated thousands of "Eisen.
hover" Republicans who felt the
generals silence had presented
Senator Taft with a long lead il
a race bound to be highly competi.
tive.
Many Texans, including Demo.
Gratis, boast that Ike is a nativ,
son. He was born at Denison
October IA, 1890. The future five.
star general was only a babe il
arms. however, when his parent!
moved to Kansas.
I There still exists in this coun.
try and Europe the belief that th'
generals ancestors were of Ger.
man stock coming to this coun.
try in recent years. = AS a mattel
of fact, Ike's forebears are from
Switzerland. They arrived in th'
New World before the Revolution
land settled in Pennsylvania.
1 In the massive family Bible, TX,
is listed as David Dwight Eisen'
hover. but his mother reversed tn,
baptismal record of his givel
names in the hope that her SON.
friends would find it difficult tt
) coin a nickname out of Dwight.
i Family Nickname.
J, Nevertheless, the many sons o
!, the Eisenhowers eventually an
;Iswered to the nickname of "Ike'
lat one time or another in theil
: lives. There's even a rumor tina
young Dwight was dubbed "Ugl.
IIke"-within the family circle, i
was explained.
| Growing up with Dwight wer'
; Arthur, Edgar. Roy, Earl ant
) Milton, now president Of Pennsyl
vania State College.
I The Eisenhowers worked hard
according to the neighbors, ant
'Ienjoyed life without knowing the,
were poor in the light Of presen
standards.
The boys shared such duties a
getting up before dawn to star
the fires and get the coffee goin,
before their mother arrived il
the kitchen.
They weeded the garden, fed tn,
chickens. MIXED the cows ant
Slipped away. on occasion, to g
!. swimming or hunting. On Sun
days, in the summertime, the,
cranked a family-size ice cream
freezer.
Young Ike learned to fry egg
and prepare vegetable soup O
lamb stew. Meanwhile, he. com
, peted. with his brothers for
, berth on the local baseball team
E Each of the boys was allowe,
to work his own garden. The,
planted what they wished an,
kept their earnings. Ike recalle,
that he specialized in sweet corr
although some years he made
e killing in early cucumbers."
: Ike took to history and mathe
maticS in high school. His clas
historian made the mistake o
! predicting he would teach histor,
e instead of make it.
; l-Z