Evening star., 1952-06-10
The Political Mill
Eisenhower Has uken
Firm Stand on FEPC
Action Is Unlikely to Affect
Chances for Nomination
By Gould Lincoln


NEW YORK, June 10.-Gen. Dwight
D. Eisenhower, win, lose or draw. has
taken position in opposition to a
Federal compulsory FEPC. Repeatedly
he has made it clear that ta) he does not
believe the discrimination issue can be
successfully handled by Federal legisla-
ton, (b) such questions should be
left to the States, (c) he will always
use whatever influence he has to assure
equality of treatment. legally and
economically, to all Americans, ire
spective of race, religion and origin.
and Cd he believes the Federal Govern
ment should do all it properly can to
oppose discrimination in letting con-
tracts and employment.
The general, those who are close to
him say, has had very definite con-
victionS on this issue and will not be
swayed from his position by any group
or political exigency. In fact, he is
understood to have made his position
clear to visitors who saw him while he
was in France.
The issue was one which might have
thrown candidate for loss. Gen.
Eisenhower, however, has made his
position clear-notwithStan charges
and criticisms by some of his Democratic
opponents that he is trying to work
both sides of the street. 1t is difficult
to see how such a charge could be
justified. An effort has been made to
persuade people generally that failure
to support Federal compulsory FEPC,
means opposition to equality of oppor-
tunity for all Americans. Gen. Eisen-
hover has pointed ut-successfully-
that he is just as strong an advocate Of
equal opportunity for all Americans as
the most ardent supporter of a Federal
law setting up Federal agency to over
see all employment in this country. In
the opinion of Gen. Eisenhower, this
would not only cause resentment in
many of the States, but would create
another huge bureaucratic agency.
Taft Favors Voluntary FEPC.
Where does this stand leave the gen.
eral politically? 1t can scarcely affect
adversely his chances for the Republi-
can nomination for President, since his
chief opponent, Senator Taft, of Ohio,
has held somewhat similar position.
The Ohio Senator has gone to the ex-
tent of favoring a voluntary FEPC
Commission, set up by Federal law, to
be educational and perSua Sive-not COM
pulsory. He has never declared himself
fatty for Federal compulsory FEPC.
1t is significant that some of the
delegates to the Republican National
Convention. from Eastern and industrial
States, have not broken with the general
over his FEPC stand. For example.
Gov. Sherman Adams of New Hampshire.
the first State to vote for Eisenhower
in a presidential primary, after leading
the New Hampshire delegation to New
York to confer with Gen. Eisenhower.
said he did not believe the delegates
would quarrel with the general over
this stand.
If Gen. Eisenhower wins the Republic
can presidential nomination and the
Democrats should nominate an ardent
supporter of Federal FEPC-in the
Truman tradition-what would be the
effect of Eisenhowers position? The
question of Federal compulsory FEPC
has never been put to popular vote in
this country. There is reason. however.
to believe it could not command a
majority. This idea is bolstered by the
fact that not many of the States have
adopted FEPC compulsory laws. New
York and Massachusetts, are two out
standing examples of States that have
undertaken to exercise this power.
Gen. Eisenhower has explained that he
has no objection to setting up Fed
eral, voluntary agency to encourage
in every way fair employment practices.
He is however. against the Federal
Government taking over police powers
of the States, by setting up Federal
compulsory FEPC. There it is. The
general has grasped this prickly issue
firnly--and the politicians and the
voters know just where he stands.