Evening star., 1953-11-12

from HeTe on Out Seen
White cuse Is on ExumpIs
Of Rugged Politics to Come
By Gould Lincoln
Rugged politics promises to be tho
order of the day from now until the
1854 election Of q new Congress.
Democrats. and particularly Demo.
cratic National Chairman Mitchell. ara
uttering loud and panied protests be-
cause Attorney General Browneu said
that former President Truman pro-
noted the late Harry Dexter White to
an important governmental post after
he had seen a report of the FBI paint
ing White as Russian spy.
Mr.. Brownell. however, was revealing
an incident that tended to show the
Truman administration was unwilling
to deal promptly and harshly in cases
where Communists and fellow travellers
had infiltrated the Government. It is
In line with the attitude of the former
President when he described the
charges against Alger Hiss as a "red
herring" drawn across the political
path. Mr.. Brownell did not say that
Mr.. Truman had any leaning to or love
for Communists. What he was seeking
to show was laxity by the Truman ad-
ministration and a softness in dealing
with persons in the Federal Govern
ment accused Of friendliness with the
Russian Communists, or being Com
muniStS.
Attacks on President.
The Eisenhower administration has
for months been under constant politi-
cal attack from Democratic sources.
More recently, some Democrats have
undertaken personal attacks on the
President himself. They have tried to
belittle the Eisenhower crusade to clean
up the Washington "mess," growing out
Of the Truman administration. II now
the Eisenhower administration strikes
back with more and more concrete
examples Of mishandling Of govern
mental affairs, it is what might have
been expected. The many examples Of
corruption in high places which were
revealed before the presidential election
in 1852 played full part in the Eisen-
hover victory at the polls. Apparently
the Republicans intend to go right
ahead with further examples-and If
they become issues in the 1854 cam
paign the politics of the move will be
clear.
Flushed with victory in the recent
Wisconsin and New Jersey elections to
fill Republican vacancies in the House
OF representatives, Chairman Mitchell
and other Democratic leaders claimed
that their gains meant certain defeat
Tor the G. O. P. in the congressional
elections next November. Mr.. Mitchell
claimed, and Mr.. Truman agreed, that
the Brownen statement on White was
merely a political move to offset. il
possible, the news Of Republican de-
feats at the polls. This is no answer.
however, to charges such as that
brought against the Truman adminis-
tratlon by Attorney General Brownell.
Ihe Democrats received q rude Jolt.
too, when the Republican candidate to
I'LL a House vacancy in the California
24th congressional district on Tuesday
defeated New Deal-Fair Deal Demo-
crat. They were confidently expecting
third victory in these congressional
by-elections. In the California district
the issue was clean cut. The successful
Republican candidate, Glenard P. Lips
comb, made his campaign as a SUD-
porter Of the Eisenhower administration
and the Republican-controlled 83d Con-
gress. His chief Democratic opponent.
George Arnold, attacked the Republi-
can administration. The upshot was
Republican victory, with some 10000
more votes cast on the Republican
line than on the Democratic. Demo-
cratic registration in this Los Angeles
County district outruns Republican
registration by 10.0OO-but still the
Democrats could not win.
No-Quarter Fight.
From now on, no quarter will be
given by either side in the race for
congressional victory next year. What
this portends for the Eisenhower legis-
latlve program when it goes to Con-
gress for action after the first of the
year can only be surmised. Democrats
Will have to make up their minds, and
RepuoLcans. too, on important issues
presented. In the Senate the Demo.
Gratis outnumber by one the Repub-
hcans. and in the House the Republicans
have three more members than the
Democrats. 1t seems likely that the
Senate and House chambers will be
rocked constantly by political oratory.
1t is evident. however, that the Re-
publicanS do not intend to take Demo-
cratic assaults lying down. They have
seized again upon the issues of Demo-
cratic mismanagement- - the "Wash-
ington meSs"-and Of Communist in
filtration into the Government under
Democratic rule. Democratic efforts to
get out from under these attacks on
the ground they might have been ma
ter1al in 1852 but have no relation
to 1854 are not likely to halt the Re-
publicanS The G. o. P. will remember
that the Democrats ran in succeeding
campaigns for 20 years on the Hoover
depression"
Ouesfione nnd Anewnre