Evening star., 1952-12-21
Eisenhower Considered
New Kind of President
Writer Anticipates Period
Of Patience and Tolerance
By Fronk r. Kent

Oy TIoUN N. NCuA
Among the changes which will occur
as a result of the new administration
is a change-a very great change-in
the atmosphere of the White House.
which logically should be reflected in
Congress and generally through the
whole Federal structure. Signs of this
change already have been given since
the election-and rather widely noted.
Primarily, this change is not con-
cerned with political issues or policies.
It is based on the differences between
the personality and temperament of
the incoming President and that of his
two predecessors. Those who know
Gen. Eisenhower best and have had
opportunities to observe his reactions
to criticism and attack are convinced
that the era of White House name call
ing and letter writing definitely has
come to an end. These have been out
standing features of the Truman adj
ministration just as political and per-
sonal vindictiveness marked the 13 years
of the Roosevelt regime. 1t is not easy
to find any period Of American politics
in which partisan hate and personal
intolerance have exceeded the last two
decades.
Turbulence and belligerency were
traits which both Mr.. Roosevelt and MI.
Truman developed early with their ac-
quirement of presidential power. They
asSailed and condemned, attacked and
denounced. In the last campaign Mr..
Truman let himself go further in this
direction than any previous President
so far, indeed, that many felt he had
&c
the more than 6.5 million Eisenhower
majority convinced all the conspicuous
figures in the opposition that the coun-
try was overwhelmingly for the gen.
eral and against the Governor. On the
contrary. some of the "eggheads," as
the intellectual speech-writing aides to
Mr.. Stevenson came to be called, seem
determined to continue the fight along
the same abusive and denunciatory
lines. The contrast between all this and
the Eisenhower attitude is marked and
significant
For example, when Mr.. Truman in
sultlngly and publicly declared at a
press conference that Gen. Ike's visit to
Korea was a sheer piece of dema-
goguery." instead of replying in kind.
the general completely ignored this
NAACoP dAlO ullAOuIlQcu Charge. ana
when Senator Taft, declared the ap-
pointment of Mr.. Durkin as Secretary
OF Labor incredible" the intimation
being that the general had sold out to
the big labor bosses who had opposed
him and wanted to repeal the Taft
Hartley Act the general had no COM
ment at all. Both of these charges
could have been met with strong re-
pudiation and sharp retort.
But though his close associates ad-
mitted that the general felt badly about
both the Truman and Taft attacks, he
said nothing. Unquestionably his re-
fusal to blast back at either was the
most effective thing he possibly could
have done. The generals refusal to an
swer their virulent and offensive assaults
went long way to nullify them While
some of the still hostile journalists and
politicians attempted to use these Incl
dents as Eisenhower ammunition.
the net effect seems to have strength
ened the general and weakened his OPP
ponents. Certainly it has been made
clear that the President-elect is not a
quarrelSome man-nor one easily pro-
voked to wrath. He does not need to
throw his weight around and use in
temperate language to prove that he is
man of courage and character.
He seems a calm and friendly man
who controls his temper, does not 60
oil half-cocked and is wholly free from
personal grudgeS and animoSity. This
does not mean, of course, that Gen.
Eisenhower is incapable of anger or
resentment. He will not be the kind
OF President who can be pushed around,
bullied or bamboozled 1t does mean
that he is strong enough to be patient
and tolerant. A truthful man himself,
apparently he is not disposed to accuse
those who disagree with him of lying.
Nor is he likely to surround himself
with shoddy, untruthful men. Mistakes
he will make, of course but they are
pretty sure to be honest mistakes For,
distinctly. he is neither a humbug nor a
hypocrite. We have not had this sort
OF man in the White House for long
time. To most Americans it will be a
big relief 1t is easy to have confidence
in such man.
The first call it ever had was on Decem-
L. n