Evening star., 1952-06-24
Committee Stops Distributing
Anti-Eisenhower Tabloid

|AntI-EISenhOWe
Close on the heels of denunci-
alton by Senator Taft. the Mary
landers-for- Taft Committee has
voted against further distribution
of a tabloid newspaper attacking
Gen. Eisenhower.
The decision was reached at q
meeting of the committee in Bal
timore yesterday about the same
time Senator Taft was repudiating
smear tactics in an interview here.
Senator Taft said he included
the tabloid, Headlines and
What's Behind Them" with 9TH
er publications he regarded as un-
fairly presenting presidential can
didates.
Irving H. Merger, treasurer and
publicity director, said the COM
mittee's resolution applied only
to the March issue of the tabloid
distributed to 48 delegates and
alternates of the Maryland dele
cation to the Republican National
Convention.
Will Still Give Out Data.
The committee expected to con-
tinue one of its prime purposes
to disseminate all information
possible on the life histories OF
Senator Taft, Gen. Eisenhower
and other possible Republican
presidential nominees. Mr.. Mezger
said.
Il carefully read Headlines and
found no scurrilous matter" he
said. ANY candidate for the Office
of the presidency, who is worthy
of the honor, should not fear to
have his life exposed like an open
book"
Mr.. Merger said the committee
had no connection with Head
lines, New York tabloid pub
lished by Joseph Ramp. It mere
ly bought so copies of the March
issue for distribution only to the
delegates and alternates, he said.
The tabloid is being investigated
by the Senate Elections Commit
tee. Kamp, its publisher and
editor, served four months in jail
for contempt of Congress. He re-
fused to provide records Of 1914
campaign spending. Kamp defied
the committee to find any anti
racial material in Headlines"
Offer Repeated.
Yesterday one of our commit
tee members, Mrs. B. M. Miller,
telephoned Mr.: Kamp in New
York" Mr.. Merger said. HE re-
peated a previous offer of 81 900
to any one who could disprove a
single statement in the paper"
Mr. Mezger said he had received
through the mail a single page of
selected articles from the tabloid.
This was done by interests not
associated with the committee, he
said. He presumed the leaflet had
been given fairly wide mail dis
tribution.
Dissemination Of the full tab
loid became known Saturday in
"a news release by the committee.
Prepared After Rally.
It was learned later that the
release was prepared and given
out before a Taft rally at the
Maryland estate TO Mrs. Garvin
Tankersly. It read:
Rockville. Md, June 21-The
formation of active civic leaders
into a "Marylanders for Taft
Committee" was disclosed yester-
day when they attended in a body
a huge rally for Senator Robert
A. Taft, held on the estate of
Mrs. Garvin Tankersly near
here"
This publication goes into
minute detail concerning the
many important facts in the
background Of Dwight Eisen-
hover which indeed are very un-
favorable toward gaining him the
office of the President of the
United States." the release said.
Yesterday it was learned that
no announcement was made of
the committees formation at the
Tankersly rally. Both Mr.. and
Mrs. Tankersly said they had no
connection with the committee,
nor had they seen a copy OF
Headlines"
Fund Raising Meeting.
Mr.. Merger agreed that no
formal announcement about the
committee was made at the
Tankersly rally, which was held
to raise funds for the national
Taft for President movement. He
said 8 or 8 committee members
were present, and that they quietly
sought support through pledge
cards.
The Marylanders for Taft Com
mittee was organized two weeks
ago in Baltimore. Mr.. Merger sale
it is made up Of Is outstanding
political and civic leaders, each
with a large following.
Its members were dissatisfied