Evening star., 1953-01-18
Eisenhower Praised as
Equal to His Task
Writer Declares Faith
In New Presidents Success
By Fronk R. Kent

By Fronk R. Kent
When on Tuesday. after 20 years In
the wilderness, the Republicans return
to full power, the state of the country
cannot truthfully be described as good.
The recent message Of the retiring
President, Mr.. Truman, eulogiZing his
own record and describing the prog
ress" we have made under New and
Fair Deal policies, failed to present the
unprecedentedly grave problems with
which his successor will be confronted.
Instead, the impression was sought
to be conveyed that our governmental
affairs here and elsewhere have been
well managed and conditions are such
that the new President, If he but fol-
lows the lines of his predecessors. ought
to be able to continue the existing pros
perity at home and eliminate the perils
that threaten us abroad. OF course, the
reverse of this is true, as informed men
in both parties we'll know. This
knowledge should be shared with the
American people as a whole and there
is reason to believe that in his first
communications to Congress and to the
country Gen. Ike will deal realistic
cally with the situation. In brief, he
will tell the truth.
This does not mean that he will take
a defeatist attitude. But certainly he
owes it to the Nation-and to himself
to lay the unvarnished facts on the line.
Only in this way can he vaccinate
against false hopes and false fears
which can have an equally malign
effect upon the national morale. For
example. the people should be told the
lndlsputable truth that the interna-
tlonal situation has greatly deteriorated
in the past six months; that American
policy is weak and confused, even in
Western Europe where it should be
strongest, and that the vital questions
with which the new administration
must flrst grapple are not those on the
home front but those abroad.
Thus, before he tackles the awful
domestic tangle he is inheriting, Presi-
dent Eisenhower must meet situations
abroad that menace the peace to the
preservation of which he is primarily
dedicated and pledged. Clearly these
international decisions must come first.
but they should not obscure the gravity
OF the fiscal dangers and incredible con-
fusion that prevail in the Government
OF these United States. Five successive
Democratic administrations, during
which premiums were put on spending
ana penalties on economy, have brought
US 10 the point where taxes on in
olVlduals are practically 95 times as
much as they were 20 years ago: where
the Federal payroll is 10 times as
great and where the Federal debt of
$3.50 billion is IA times as much as in
1888.
With another approximate multibil-
non-dollar deficit looming, to balance
the ouoget, provide an even stronger
oe1enSe armament and at the same
Time reduce taxes is about as tough
proposition as any President in history
has confronted. Neither Mr.. Roosevelt
nor Mr.. Truman faced anything COM
parable to that. They solved" their
problems by piling more people on the
payroll. opening even wider the Treas
ury splgots: and appeasing the great
groups with which they have been
politically allied for 20 years. Through
these and other devices they have
brought about a condition where one
out OF every nine of our citizens is
receiving Federal funds, directly or
indirectly. The extreme unhealthiness
of this is too clear to need stressing.
1t was to reverse our direction that the
American people voted last November.
When the great strength of the various
groups directly benefiting by this un-
restrained pouring out of public moneys
is considered the decisive nature of
the verdict was, indeed, impressive.
There is no doubt that Gen. Eisen-
hover is determined to check this
trend and recover control of the Fed
eral finances. And it is vital to all of
us that he should succeed The diff
culties OF doing so are hard to exagger-
ate. Spending money is one of the
easiest of things for an individual, an
industry or nation. Eliminating
waste and reducing expenditures is
certainly the hardest-particularly for
nation. No matter where the cut,
nor how deep. strong resistance is sure
to be encountered and heavy pressure
to desist exerted. When the attempt is
made this time the air will be filled
"ACAA oNASoAAo VI PdIIl dIlQ 1OIcCdStS Oh
disaster.
1t will take great courage and in
flexible purpose to swing the Govern
ment around so that we face again
national solvency instead of national
bankruptcy. Despite the immensity of
the obstacles, there are several reasons
for believing it will be done. One is
the dire results of failure. Another is
the firm character of the new Presi-
dent A third is the quality of the
cabinet he has chosen. A fourth is that
the public is still strongly pro-Eisen-
hover and sick of the spending spree,
with its inevitable confusion and cor
ruption. 1t is terrific job, but despite
the immediate priority of international
problems. Ike will make terrific try.
If he can't do it no one cantor. as
Senator Byrd has said, this is our last
chance.
1alIdet Tu1ia CSOldShorn,1oh Adolo