Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-10-08
Fong and Claw

The midsummer vision Of a nice, clean
high-level campaign is turning out to have been
dream of some political Utopia. But the voters
are waking up now. Unless all signs fail the
outlook is for savage rending and tearing Of
the opposition.
President Truman, who is not apt to stop
at anything, is setting the pace. He has turned
on General Eisenhower, the man whom he once
praised so highly, with a kind of primitive
ferocity. His latest onslaught is to the effect
that the Republican nominee is afflicted with
moral blindness" that renders him unfit to be
President of the United States. This alone sets
a precedent of sort in this campaign for it
would hardly have been thought, few weeks
ago, that Mr.. Truman would have the hardihood
to 1ndict any one on the score of moral blind
ness. But a spirit of desperation is apt to
assert itself as uncertain election draws
closer and there is no knowing to what lengths
MIR. Truman may 60.
Furthermore, he is receiving encouragement
from the Stevenson camp. reporter asked
Wilson Wyatt, Governor Stevensons campaign
manager, whether he thought Mr. Truman's
whistle stopping was helping or hurting. Mr..
Wyatt replied that he thought the President was
helping because "he is reading the record and
pointing out the facts" When that question
was asked, Mr.. Wyatt found himself on q spot
similar to that which General Eisenhower has
occupied. Politically speaking, he could no more
afford to repudiate Mr.. Truman than General
Eisenhower could afford to repudiate Senator
Mccarthy or Senator Jenner. But Mr.. Wyatts
comment was not only failure to repudiate; it
is apt to spur Mr.. Truman on. And If Mr.. Wyatt,
presumably speaking for Governor Stevenson,
really believes that the President has been
reading the record and pointing out the facts in
his whistle-stop TRADES the worst undoubtedly
is yet to come.
There have also been signs that Governor
Stevenson himself is getting ready to step Gown
from the relatively lofty plane on which he has
been campaigning. The Governor, addressing
Michigan audience, took issue with General
Eisenhower's contention that prosperity in this
country is byproduct of war and rearmament.
There is room, no doubt, for disagreement on this
score, although there is much to be said for
the Eisenhower point of view. Certainly the
military program accounts in large part for our
record-breaking employment, high wages and
disposal of our products. If it were not for this,
our prosperity would be threatened by the need
to find markets for a greatly increased output
of consumer goods-markets in countries which
lack dollars to buy American goods and which
would not be absorbing an appreciate share Of
our output now If it were not for the economic
aid we are giving them.
The point, however, Is not that there Is
room for honest disagreement on this question.
The point is that Governor Stevenson went on
to accuse General Eisenhower of comforting the
Russians and dismaying our allies when he made
the statement. That is skating on very thin ice.
For the issue is a real one, and it should be
possible to discuss it without being accused of
giving comfort to the enemy.
General Eisenhower though striking back,
has not gone overheard as yet in replying to
these attacks The temptation to retaliate in
kind, to resort to cheap personalities, is going
to be strong, however, and there is no assurance
that he will not succumb to it. If he does the
lid will really be off.