Evening star., 1952-01-06
Eisenhower's Friends
May Toss Generals
Hat Into Ring Today
By the Associated Press


Politicians speculated yesterday
that friends may toss Gen. Eisen-
hower's hat in the Presidential
ring today.
At the same time, there were
some signs that President Tru-
man may be getting ready to bow
out Of the political field in favor
Of some other Democrat.
The general expectation in
Washington as the week closed
was that Senator Lodge, Republi-
can of Massachusetts,, will produce
at scheduled news conference
today some evidence that Gen.
Eisenhower has no objection to the
entry of his name as a Republican
presidential candidate in the
March IL New Hampshire primary.
The news conference will be at
noon at the Shoreham Hotel.
What form such possible evi-
dence may take will have a lot
to do with the reception accorded
the heralded statement of Senator
Lodge, national manager of the
COP EiSenhower-for- President
movement.
Generals Signature Needed.
If Senator Lodge can produce
something in the nature of a
document bearing Gen. Eisen-
hower's signature. the generals
supporters will feel they have got
well under way their campaign
to get the Republican nomination
for him.
If it should turn out to be only
another of the verbal assurances
these same supporters have been
giving that Gen. Eisenhower is 1j
a Republican and co a candidate
for the nomination, the reaction
might boomerang.
Nevertheless, any statement u
no publicly repudiated by the
general-that his name is going
into the New Hampshire primary
will be generally interpreted as
putting him in the race.
How much effect this would
have on Mr.. Truman's decision
about his own future remains to
be seen. Mr.. Truman offered in
1948 to back Gen. Eisenhower
for the Presidency, but has denied
repeating this proposal in the
pre-1942 maneuvering.
Truman Seen Reluctant.
Some politicians profess to see
In the weeks developments signs
that Mr.. Truman is getting ready
to announce in his own good time
that he won't seek another term.
The President said in response
to news conference questions on
Thursday he couldn't put any
specific date on the announcement
he plans to make about his in
tentionS. i
But his willingness to accept
the resignation of w. Stuart
Symington as head of the RFC
and signs that he doesn't intend
to ease Attorney General Nc
Grath out of the cabinet added
up IN some minds to indicationsli
that he isn't planning a new elec-l
ton campaign.
Mr.. Symington has become
something of a cleanup symbol
in the Truman administration as
the man who took the RFC out
from under a stigma of "in1u-
ence peddling" and has kept
1t above congressional suspicion
since.
Politicians argue that if Mr..
Truman planned to run again, he
would want Mr.. Symington on
his team.
Speculation BOlStered.
Mr.. Symington has been want
Ing to get back into private busi-
ness for long time. but he could
hardly insist on being freed of
his Government job by a Presi-
dent who wanted him around
through the campaign. |,
Mr.. McGrath's announcement
after a Friday cabinet meeting
that no change in his status is
contemplated bolstered speculation
that Mr.. Truman is standing pat
on his own solution for the tax
collection scandals and not trim
ming his political sails for No
vember.
Mr.. McGrath has been chief
target of Republicans, who de-
manded his resignation because
they said he hadn't been diligent