Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-07-28
The Political Mill
Republican Success
Linked to Armistice
Advantage With President,
But Future Holds the Kew
By Gould Lincoln

~ SOuIu 6iHSOIH
A little more than six months sitter
President Eisenhower took Office. fight
ing in Korea has been ended by truce.
The truce might have been signed, it is
now learned, month earlier had not
President Rhee of South Korea ordered
the anti-CommuniSt prisoners of war
released when everything was in readi-
ness for ceaSe-fire. Inevitably, the
truce will have its effect on American
politics. Gen. Eisenhower and his Re-
publican administration will be held re-
Sponsible.
If the truce and the subsequent po-
litical conferences looking to peace 60
well. the prestige and popularity of the
President will be enhanced. Presum-
ably. the Republican Party will benefit,
by reflected glory. If things go badly.
then the President and the G. o. P. will
suffer loss.
Unpopular War.
AS Of today, however, the advantage
is with the President. Certainly under
his leadership an end to the stalemated
war in Korea has come about. That
has been the wish of millions of Amer
leans. The Korean war has not been
a popular war, and it became less popu-
lar when, during the Truman admin
istration, the policy was that of hold
ing war, rather than a war for COM
plete victory which was urged by Gen.
Macarthur and later by Gen. Van Fleet.
During the latter part of the presiden-
tia: campaign of 1852, Gen. Eisenhower
announced that, If elected he would go
Immediately to Korea to see what could
be done. He was roundly criticized by
both President Truman and Adlai Ste
venson, the Democratic candidate for
President, at the time. They charged
he was promising the voters he would
bring an end of the fighting, that it was
unfair to arouse their hopes. Gen.
Eisenhower did go to Korea after his
election, and the fighting has been
ended.
Democratic Support.
The truce and its terms have been
criticized on the ground that the terms
are not favorable to the United States,
but rather to the Communists; that
the terms have been distinctly unfavor-
able to President Rhee and the South
Koreans. While these criticisms have
not been confined to the Democrats.
Democratic leaders in Congress have
pointed them up. Further, these Demo-
cratic leaders have said that If things
go wrong, If there is no peace in Asia,
and if the truce leads to war rather
than to peace, Gen. Eisenhower and his
adminiStration-and the Republicans
will have to take the blame. Repre-
sentative John Mccormack Of Massa-
chusetts. Democratic whip Of the
House and majority leader in the last
Congress, has declared: president
Eisenhower has acted and committed
our country, and all we can do is to
support him and hope for the best"
Earlier in his statement, the Democratic
leader said: IF the political talks
following the truce are successful, the
truce will have been justified, despite
the fact the truce terms are not favor
able to us and certainly are unfavorable
to the South Koreans" He added that
the truce came at time when there
was a fight for control and tension in
the Soviet Union and open discomfort
in the satellite nations.
Refrain From Attack.
Mr.. Mccormack feels sure that II
former President Truman had made
a truce on the same terms as that now
in effect, he would have been roundly
criticized by Republicans. But Mr.. Nc
Cormack and other Democrats have
refrained from direct attack on the
truce. No one knows how the truce
and the political talks will work out.
Further, Mr.. Mccormack and the DEM
ocrats have expressed a willingness to
help Gen. Eisenhower make the truce
and its results a success.
The titular leader of the Democratic
Party, former Gov. Stevenson of Illinois,
is due to make a report at a great
Democratic gathering in Chicago Sep
TENDER ID and Is on his own observa-
tions of world conditions. BY that time,
the Korean truce will have been in
effect for seven weeks. Also the Cen
eral Assembly of the United Nations,
which is to meet in special session
August II, will have worked over de-
tails of the peace talks which are to
fellow the armistice. The political as
poets of the Korean truce-making may
be more clearly defined. In the end.
however, If all goes we'll for the United
States, then 1t will go well for Gen.
Eisenhower and the G. o. P.