Evening star., 1953-04-19

for his wife and children his choice
would unfailingly fall on Mr.. Salton-
stall.
MeticuIous Questioning
Senator Saltonstall sometimes
wearies fellow committee members
with his meticulous questioning of
witnesses on small details. He also
reads all Defense Department con-
tracts right down to the fine print.
But his -mindedness actually
works very much in his favor dur
ing the behind the scenes WrangleS,
for no one suspects him of duplicity
The confidence he was able to arouse
in fellow members helped a great
deal in smoothing out the tangles in
the unif1cation act.
The Senator's homeSpun Simplic-
ity was formed in a gilt-edged back
ground that is studded with May
flower ancestors and eight Massa-
chusetts Governors.
His immediate forbears were Dem
ocrats. His father was appointed
collector of the Port of Boston by
President Grover Cleveland. SAL
tonStallS mother, who is still a
flouriShing matriarch, was direct
descendant of Peter Chardon Brooks,
BoSton'S first merchant prince. She
is said to be one of the wealthieSt
women in Massachusetts,, and her
son inherited her Republicanism.
He is stanch, but rather liberal
member Of the party, When asked
to list the most important things in
his life. he did not name the, G., o. P.
but rather his family and Harvard
University. 1,.s.a. -s' --
His devotion to the old-school
tie recently embroiled him in po-
litical troubles in his mercurial home
State. Senator Saltonstall took it
upon himself to go before the For
eign Relations Committee on behalf
of his Harvard claSsmate U914),
James B. Conant, when Mr.. Conant
was nominated to be high commits
sioner of Germany. Because of his
personal interest in the case, and
also because of his position as ma
jority whip. Mr.. Saltonstall was one
of six Senators who were on the
floor when the nomination was con-
f1rmed.
One hothead in the Massachusetts
Legislature, who objected to some
of Mr.. Conant's utterances on pri-
vate schools, promptly proposed that
the Senator be deposed from his
Craftsmanship of the Armed Services
Committee. The Boston City Coun-
Gil, another notoriously excitable
group debated for two and one-half
hours Mr.. Saltonstall'S fitness to be
an honor guest at the st. Patrick'S
Day parade in South Boston-a dis
trict that corresponds roughly to
Brooklyn in its fierce pride and
intense clannishnesS. st. Patrick's
Day is holiday of epic proportions in
"Southie," and every politician in
the State, regardless of his ancestry,
vies for a place in the parade.
Senator Saltonstall, whose enemies
have learned not to underestimate
his political shreWdnesS, showed up
in South Boston on March II, and
enjoyed his usual warm welcome.
In manner Of speaking, his polit-
ical fortunes were made there, and
neither he nor the South Bostonians
ever forget it.
Debut in MiddIesex
The Senator made his debut in
politics as assistant district attorney
Of Middlesex County. He then served
in the Massachusetts, Legislature for
16 years, and was speaker for his
last four terms. In his first contest
for Governor he faced formidable
opposition in the person of James
Michael Curley, a colorful and willy
politician who often had been Mayor
OF Boston and always its best orator.
James Michael, being short Of issues,
playfully commented Saltonstall had
"a South Boston face"
Mr.. Saltonstall rejoined that he
was proud Of his South Boston
face" adding, 1T is not a double
face. It's the only one I have and
it will be the same after election
as it is now."
South Boston ate it up. He beat
the formidable Mr.. Curley by small
margin. During the recent cam
paign, Gen. Eisenhower, motoring
through that Democratic stronghold,
was tepidly received, but Senator
Saltonstall was greeted with affec-
tionate cries of Hi, Salty!"
One foreign correspondent, after
studying Mr. Saltonstall's heavy-lid-
ded eyes, lean cheeks and out-thrust
jaw, decided he looked like the leader
Of an English trade union-"a very
small union." he added. Actually,
his photographs do him an injustice.
In person he is ruddy. well-knit
man who, if not conventionally
is very nice looking.
Mr.. Saltonstan took Office in the
Bay State on the heels of string Of
Democrats whose tastes
had run to colossal florists bills and
encourages Of bodyguards and
motorcycle escorts. He
promptly put into action the thrift
that the Massachusetts, institution