Evening star., 1953-07-26
Administration Critics
Getting Nowhere Fast
Writer Says Businessmen
Serve Eisenhower Well
By Fronk R. Kent

BY Fronk R. Kent
Gradually, it seems, the left-wing
journalistic believing about the "big
businessmen" with whom the Presi-
dent has surrounded himself has died
down to low murmur. For a while
there was what appeared to be a con-
certed attack upon several members
Of the cabinet with the idea that one
or more designations could be forced.
Defense Secretary Wilson and Sec
retary of Agriculture Benson were
the first targets. Though they had to
put UP with much distortion of fact
concerning what they said and did.
neither batted an eye under the bar
rage. Now the attack seems to have
shifted to the Dulles brothers-John
Foster. the Secretary of State, and
Allen. head of the Central Intelligence
Agency. To date, the only result Of
this has been to confirm several quite
well-known facts, to wit: % They
are two of the most able and deeply
experienced men who have been in
the Government service for many
years; (2) they are wholly patriotic,
disinterested and sincere; go the sac
riflce they are making to do their
jobs is real. though neither admits
it nor regards it as a sacrifice Most
informed persons agree that the coun-
try as well as the administration, is
fortunate to have them in its service.
However, these facts have not stopped
the effort to belittle and harasS. In
the case of Allen Dulles it has taken
the form Of trying to force him into a
public brawl with Senator Mccarthy
or a break with the President. In
neither direction has the effort achieved
any degree of success. Mr.. Dulles has
been patient, good-tempered but quite
firm in dealing with the Mccarthy
attempt to put CIA men on the witness
stand. And he has had unwavering sup
port from the President. Also, the
ridiculous criticism of his failure to
hold regular press conferences for the
purpose of telling all'' has had no
effect whatever.
AS to Secretary Of State Dulles. for
quite a time the New-Fair Deal
Spokesmen have predicted that very
soon his resignation would be rendered
and accepted. He has been accused of
blindly following the Truman-Aches
policies. of having surrendered to
Mccarthy" and of being in state of
intellectual bewilderment. The truth is.
at no time has he thought of resigning
and if he did tender his resignation
1t would not be accepted. Furthermore.
the only Truman -Acheson policies he is
following are those he inherited and to
which the country is so committed that
we could not retreat with honor. AS
for his intellectual bewilderment,"
that is absurd. He is as clear-headed.
courageous and determined a man as
has occupied his Office for many years.
incidentally, the merry persiflage
that both press and radio reported as
passing between Mr.. AcheSon and Mr..
Truman when they met in Washington
a few weeks ago distressed some of Mr..
Acheson'S admirers, who felt the at
tacks on him as Secretary of State were
largely unjustif1ed and that he is an
able man of high character. He was
said to have remarked to the ex-,
President that he could not help think
ing of him as still in the White House.
though he said II am told there is
no one living there now" Mr.. Truman
guffawed. It was exactly the cheap
sort of sneer he most appreciates. But
it was unworthy of Mr.. Acheson. He
should have been above that. 1t was
on the low level of some of the smart
aleck quips that used to be aimed at
him.
Looking over the first six months
of the administration. it does seem
that the efforts to belittle Gen. Ike
and the men gathered around him
have been singularly ineffective. True.
In the present state of the world no
one can see very far into the future.
but the concrete Eisenhower accom-
plishments make the lack Of leader
ship" theme song Of the opposition
more than a little absurd. In addition.
the big businessmen upon whom he
has placed responsibility appear to fit
their jobs very we'll, Notwithstanding
the awful charge that, like their boss,
they don't know nothin' about
politics"
If this were true it could be an asset
as well as a liability. But. to be frank,
it is by no means wholly true. There
are men close to the President who
know lot about politics. There are
exGov. Sherman Adams. Attorney
General Brownell, Postmaster General
Summerf1eld, Press Secretary Hagerty
to mention few. Also the idea that
the President has not learned con-
siderable politics in the last two years
is not we'll founded. The important
thing is that the politicians Of this
administration are different from those
who preceded them. They live in a
better atmosphere, operate on a higher
plane. Some fumbles have been-and
will be-made by the Eisenhower men,
but one thing is sure: This is not an
administration that will breed graft
and grafters. Neither big nor little
crooks will last long in it. These men
may make mistakes but they will not
smell bad.