Evening star., 1953-09-06
Democrats Lack Issue
For Compoiqn Of 1854
Writer Says Jenner Report
Helps Eisenhower's Side
BY Fronk r. Kent


By Fronk r. Kent
All is not going well with the
Democratic plans for the big pro-
Stevenson demonstration in Chicago on
September Is. For one thing, the
bright young chairman of the Demo-
cratic National Committee, Stephen
Mitchell, seems to have created con-
siderable friction among the local
Chicago Democrats and also certain
resentment among some of the ma
tional party figures-particularly in the
South. These easily may be ironed
out before the Stevenson speech and
the jocular Adlai can be counted on
for wise and witty Grafton of the
kind that created vast enthusiasm
during his campaign, though those
orations and his singular group support
did not garner nearly enough votes.
And what Mr.. Stevenson does not say
Mr.. Truman. in his gentle and re-
strained way, will.
Nevertheless, among many thoughtful
Democrats there is q real feeling of
concern that, perhaps. they have not
yet succeeded in centering upon win
ming issue for the 1854 campaign.
1t is already clear that there is no
favorable public reaction to personal
criticism of President Eisenhower.
The charges that he has failed in his
promises to balance the budget and
reduce taxes are easily met by the
answer that the Truman administration
had left mess so dreadful that to do
these things before the Federal finances
had been Strengthened out would have
meant disastrous national insolvency.
X
Nor have the allegations that the
President and his administration are
dominated by big business and the
months of attack, faith in the sincerity
and capacity Of Mr.. Eisenhower seems
undiminished. The recent declaration
of Senator johnson of Texas, the Sem
ate Democratic leader, that all the
good things achieved by Eisenhower
at the last session were with Demo-
cratic aid and votes does not quite
strike the right note. The absence of
Senator Byrd, Gov. Byrnes, Gov.
ShiverS of Texas and others from the
Chicago dinner will somewhat detract
from Mr.. Mitchell's effort to renominate
his friend, Mr.. Stevenson.
The Democrats have been thinking
that the issue of "McCarthyism" would
be their best bet for next year. Ger
tainly, most. of the newspapers and
all the so-called "egg-head" intellec-
tuals would rally to that cry. But
recent events have tended to render that
issue slightly absurd. For years the
Democratic position under Roosevelt
and Truman was that the effort to
show that Communists had danger
ously inf1ltrated our Government was
merely witch hunt" or "red batting"
All through the Hiss trials Mr.. Truman
maintained that the case was just a
"red herring" An entirely skeptical
and homeopathic attitude character
ized White House, State and Justice
Departments. Even after the numer-
Gus convictions by juries, the Truman
administration continued apathetic and
inactive.
Their chief defense was in violent
attacks on Senator Mccarthy. Grad
ually he was built up from an obscure
and unimportant Senator to great
national and international figure. The
Democratic plan, however. to make
him the leading issue in 1854 has been
badly damaged by the revelations and
reports of various House investigating
committees and one Senate committee,
with none of which Senator Mccarthy
has anything whatever to do. Par
ticularly revealing is the report OF the
Senate Committee on Internal Security.
headed by Senator Jenner OF Indiana.
This report is neither wild nor in
accurate. There is no effort to be
dramatic. 1t does not aim for head
line. 1t is thoughtful and convincing
compilation of documented evidence
taken over many weekS-evidence that
seems fully to sustain the following
conclusions: I'D A Soviet conspiracy
to undermine and destroy our Govern
ment from within exists; (2) policies.
personalities and programs of this
Soviet conspiracy are still in effect in
our Government and constitute a con-
tinuous hazard to our national security;
go persons who know the facts of this
conspiracy are not cooperating" 1t
is also difficult to see how this report.
signed by Democratic as we'll as Re-
publican Senators, can be answered or
ignored.
1t is also difficult to see how the
Democrats and their organized agen-
cies, such as the Americans for DEM
ocratlc Action, the new National Issues
Committee of Mrs. Roosevelt and Mr..
Reuther's CIO, are going to continue
shrieking about McCarthyism, book
burning and loss Of prestige" abroad
in the face Of the Jenner report. It not
only indicts the Roosevelt and Truman
administrations for inaction when the
facts were laid in their lap but it wraps
up the whole story of the evil plot to
take possession of our Government
more effectively than any other docu-
ment of statement yet made by any
one. The Democrats appear to be on
the wrong side of this issue.
frame is employed provided with a
funfivo r1nuov inolI1Iirr x,anoor F1-