Evening star., 1952-07-12

tary Academy at West Point anc
Tufts College.
Gen. Ike mixed his well-known
pep and aggressiveness with some
of the caution of his advancing
years while he pondered another
command decision. Was he tc
yield to persistent demands that
he enter the political arena?
It took many years and thor
ough search of his conscience and
his prospects to bring the general
to the crossroads.
The choice he made last Janu-
ary z, when he declared his Re.
publican beliefs and announced
he would accept the party's nomi.
nation if offered, was the result
of long deliberation.
The first sign of the general.
political appeal came while he was
leading the invasion of Italy dur.
ing September, 1943. The force.
under the brilliant new command.
er had swept through North Africs
and Sicily.
Gen. .Ike's popularity was be.
ginning to run high. at home anc
abroad. In New York City, the
American Legion's Tank Corpl
Post No. IT'S came out for Ike a.
a presidential candidate regardles!
of his party beliefs.
Few voters took much notice
of the move. But the news startled
the general when it was relayeG
to him by an aide at his f1elt
headquarters, according to an &C.
count by Don Whitehead Of tht
A. p. a former war correspond.
ent.
The generals aid quoted tht
boss as exclaiming: "Baloney!
Why can't a simple soldier bt
left alone to carry out his orders;
And furiously object to the
word 'candidate-I amt and
won't"
Yet movements to draft The
general persisted. despite his re.
peated disavowals. In 1948, there
we're attempts to enter Ike's name
as q Democratic, as well as Re-
publican candidate. In January
of that year, he ended months oi
speculation by declaring himself
out in q letter to q supporter ir
New Hampshire.
Gen. Ike then was serving a.
president Of Columbia University
a 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 I'LL such a high
Office If elected, but declared:
II will not, at this time, iden.
tify myself with any politica
party. and could not accept nom
ination for any political office O
participate in a partisan politica
contest"
Early in 1850, the general wa
recalled to a temporary assign
ment as chairman of the, Join
Chiefs of Staff. It seems prob
able he had hoped this would b.
his last military assignment.
He had acquired a productive
farm near the battlefields of Get
+tysburg, in the State where hi
parents lived until they migrated
to the West in 1875. On the porcl
of the comfortable farm house
the general had hoped to "rocl
out my last days"
Another DifIlcult Assignment.
Yet Ike was to return to Europ,
for one of the most difficult as
|signments any general ever face,
in peace time. The preliminar.
work. Of unifying a command il
Europe was over when the gen
|eral announced his decision o
January z.
In q statement from Paris. tn,
|61-year-old soldier put an end Il
the speculation surrounding hi
plans for the future. At the sang
time Senator Lodge. Republican
|of Massachusetts,, announced Ike
name would be entered in tn,
March primary In New Hamp
shire.
The Senator predicted. will
more accuracy than some politica
profits, that Ike would conduct
finish fight" to win the @. o. r
nomination at Chicago.
The combined statements re
Ijuvenated thousands Of 'Eisen
hover" Republicans who felt th'
generals silence had presented
Senator Taft with q long lead il
"a race bound to be highly competi
tive.
Many Texans. including Demo
Gratis. boast that Ike Is Q nativ
son. He was born ct Denison
October II. 1890. The future five
lstar general Was only . babe y
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