Evening star., 1953-08-30
By Allen DruY

The big question mark when
the Democrats meet in Chicago
next month is likely to be Harry
S. Truman.
Although the gathering of
1000 party faithful at the Con-
rad Hilton Hotel on September
IA and Is has been billed as a
formal welcome-home for Adlai
Stevenson and possibly a first
step on the road to another
presidential nomination, signs
are multiplying that the eX-
President rather than the eX-
Governor may dominate the pro-
ceedings.
The results could have pro-
found effects on the future of
the Democratic Party.
AS originally planned, the
Midwest conference was to fur
nish the setting for Mr.. Steven
sons triumphal re-entry into po-
litical life after his SiX-month
global tour. 1t also was to mark
his assumption of firm control
over the party machinery. In
line with this, his friends at
National Committee headquar-
ters made their arrangements in
such a way that Mr.. Stevenson
would be prominently featured
while his potential rivals would
be carefully minimized.
The schedule was organized to
include a Stevenson appearance
at a $100-a-plate Embarrassing
dinner on the night of Septem-
ber ID and major Stevenson
speech under the auspices Of a
Bipartisan Civic Committee" in
the Chicago Opera House on the
night of September Is. There
also were plans to keep Mr.. Ste
venson quietly but handily ac-
cessible in his hotel room for
private conferences with all who
wished to see him.
Grumbling Is Cited.
Everything, in short, was de-
signed to keep the spotlight TO-
cused on Mr.. Stevenson, a fact
which caused some grumbling
and discomfort among the friends
of other contenderS. But nobody
quite knew what to do about it.
Now, although the physical ar
rangementS remain the same,
new factor has been added.
Since one of the principal an
nounced aims of the conference
is to promote show of party
harmony. it began to occur to
the arrangers of the event that
after all, they couldn't COM
pletely ignore the most recent
Democratic President. With
some miSgivingS, but aware there
wasn't any help for it, they ac-
cordingly extended a formal in
vitation to Mr.. Truman. Mr..
Truman accepted so fast it made
everybody's head swim, and over
night Mr.. Stevenson was pre-
Sented with the same old prob
lem he never successfully solved
IN the 1852 campaign.
The fear of his friends is I'M
derStandable. firmly grounded in
recent history: that once more
1T can be made to appear to the
public that Mr.. Truman is run
ming the show-and that once
more Mr.. Stevenson is going to
be hard put to it to keep from
being overShadowed and out
shouted by the eX-PreSident.
Truman Is ResourcefuI.
They fear this even though
Mr.. Truman no longer has the
White House as sounding
board. They know he is a tough
and reSourseful fighter with a
love for the rough and tumble of
politics. And much as they ad-
mire Mr.. Stevenson'S many fine
qualities. they know he has
neither Mr.. Truman's ZeSt. nor
his love for the game
Nor is it only on the score of
his effect on Mr.. Stevenson s
position that many Democratic
leaders are wary of Mr.. Truman.
They are also worried about the
carefully developed record of
the Democratic Party as a con-
structive opposition force.
With a ShreWd intelligence the
Democrats in Congress. and Mr..
Stevenson himself. have in gem
eral avoided any direct attacks
On the ,nnrr dnnirn1ct1.n t-in1n