Evening star., 1952-04-05
The Political Mill:
Eisenhower-Tuft Tests
Soon Will Be Resumed
Four States in East to Hold
Primaries During Month
The Political Mill:
By Gould Lincoln


Primaries During Month
By Gould Lincoln
Tests of strength between Gen. Dwight
D. Eisenhower and Senator Taft of Ohio
for the Republican presidential nomina-
tion-conflned since the New Hamp-
shire primary March IL, except for
Maine, to States of the Midwest and
South-soon are to be renewed in the
East. with probable results that will
materially change the picture. New
Jersey holds it's primary elections April
Is. New York and Pennsylvania April
%, and Massachusetts, April 20.
Senator Taft has declared himself
out of the New Jersey primary, al
though his name was entered and still
remains on the ballot. He claimed he
had been double-crossed by New Jerseys
Gov. Driscoll. when Gov. Driscoll an
nounced his support of Gen. Eisen-
hover. Gov. Driscoll retorted that Mr..
Taft sounded like a poor loser. The
court declined to allow Senator Taft to
take his name off the ballot. The Ohio
Senator had planned to spend April 8.
and 10 campaigning in New Jersey.
but now has given up all speaking en-
gagements there. From Eisenhower
sources. however, the report comes that
Taft supporters in New Jersey are still
actively seeking votes in that primary.
Another line of attack on Gen. Eisen-
hover by the Taft people may be for
them to vote for Harold Stassen, who
also is engaged in this primary race.
However with a strong organization
working for him, Gen. Eisenhower is
expected to win with heavy vote.
New York Primary April 22.
New York elects its many district
delegates in the April % primary. The
overwhelming number of them will be
Eisenhower supporters, although SEN
ator Taft Is claiming about 20. Gov.
Dewey and his organization are strongly
backing Gen. Eisenhower and will pro-
duce a big majority of the States 96
delegates.
Gen. Eisenhower and Mr.. Stassen
meet in the Pennsylvania presidential
preference primary, contest Mr.. Taft
never did enter, although there was
some talk of his doing so. The Sena-
tors campaign manager for PennSyl-
vania and other Eastern States, John
D. M. Hamilton, has vetoed the idea of
write-in vote. A write-in campaign
in State so large as Pennsylvania he
claimed, would cost far too much money.
1t is expected Gen. Eisenhower will win
this primary by wide margin, al
though Mr.. Stassen is president of the
University of Pennsylvania, now on
leave. Here, too. Taft supporters may
try to minimize Gen. Eisenhowers
showing by casting ballots for Mr..
StaSSen.
Pennsylvania Is big prize-it will
have 70 delegates in the Republican Ma
tional Convention. While the result of
the preference primary is not binding
on the delegates, it may have a very
decided influence on them. The effort
OF the Taft campaign managers is to
have as many delegate candidates favor
able to Taft elected as they can. They
will not be instructed" however. The
Eisenhower people are not overlooking
the delegates, either.
State Leadership Split.
Republican leadership in the State is
split. Senator Duff was one of the first
prominent Republicans in the country
to announce for Gen. Eisenhower. His
colleague, Senator Martin, is understood
to favor Senator Taft Former Senator
Joe Grundy. for years power in Penn
sylvania politics. and Mason Owlett,
the Republican national committeeman,
have made no announcement of their
position, although they are suspected
of favoring Mr.. Taft. Gov. Fine has
made no public declaration of support
for either. He takes the position that
Pennsylvania, with its big delegation.
should have something to say deciSively
when the showdown comes on a presi-
dental nominee at the national con-
vention.
The Taft forces will meet those Of
Else 7 head on in Massachusetts,
and L. prediction of observers in that
State are that Gen. Eisenhower will be
the winner. Full states of delegate cam
didates have been entered for both. Also.
Massachusetts is to have a preference
primary, with write-in campaign for
both under way. The Bay State will send
38 delegates to the national convention,
the same number as New Jersey.
These four Eastern States have total
delegate strength in the national con-
vention of 242, which is 108 more than
the combined delegate strength of IL
linois, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Iowa,
where Senator Taft was away out in
front in the election of delegates.