Evening star., 1953-03-03
The Political Mill
6. o. P. Reports Voters
Pleased With President
Only Cloud Is Farm Prices;
Tax Reduction Is Expected
By Gould Lincoln

Republican leaders from California to
the East Coast, represented in the exec
utive committee Of the G.. o. p. Ma.
tional Committee which met here over
the last week end, said that the re-
action among the people to President
Eisenhower's administration of affairs
during his first six weeks in Office was
splendid" Specifically, they said that
EiSenhower'S evident determination to
get something done about Korea,
exemplified by his order to the 7th
Fleet, taking the wraps off Chang
Kai-Shek, and by the aggressive atti-
tude of the United States delegation
at the United Nations meeting in New
York, was making an impression. They
liked, too, Eisenhower's expressed will
ingneSs to "go anywhere to meet any
one" halfway for conferences in the
interest of peace. This statement of
Eisenhower was directed, of course, to
the report that Premier Stain of Soviet
Russia regarded with favor a face-to-
face meeting between himself and Eli
senhower to discuss the world situa-
ton, and particularly relations between
Russia and the United States.
Tax Reduction Seen.
In addition to expressing confidence
that the President would be effective in
bringing an end to the Korean stale
mate, the Republican committeeman
and women said they believed there
would be some tax reduction this year
probably along the line of the Reed
bill which knocks the IL per cent
ri io1 a
the shoulders of individual taxpayers
next June 80, the same date the excess
profits tax on corporations Is due to
expire. Not only did they say they
believed there would be this tax reduc-
tion-they said there must be some tax
reduction, either this year or early next
year, if the Republicans are to have a
chance of retaining control of Congress
in the elections of November. 1854.
One school of thought is that it
would be wiser politically to have the
tax reduction next year-almost imme-
diately before the election. on the the
ory that If the reduction were given
this year the people would forget it by
next year, or might even be angry
because they did not have a second
reduction next year. To most Repub-
licans, however, the better idea is to
have tax reduction promptly, not only
because this would give the taxpayers,
who are also the voters, quick relief
but would give them assurance that the
G. O. p. was keeping it's platform
pledges. The Republican leaders said
they, like Eisenhower, believe that
balanced budget should be at hand
Dh0n mt 4~aAl -
however, that expenditures can be cut
and should be cut-making q bal
anced budget possible.
Farm Price Problem.
The black spot on the horizon for the
G. o. p, these Republican leaders adj
mitted, was the continued fall of farm
prices. The farmers, those leaders from
the Midwest said, are worried. The
farmers know that prices have been
declining for them for more than a
year under Democratic rule. The Re-
publicanS, however, are familiar with
the political facts of life. They know
that if people are pinched in their
pocketbookS they are going to blame
the political party in power-unless
there is an offsetting factor of value
and interest. Such factor could be
the ending of the war in Korea on
satisfactory terms.
The Republicans are hopeful, they
added, that there would be an easing
OH OF the situation SO far as agriculture
is concerned, and an adjustment with
out much, II any, real hardship. They
could be hurt. they admitted, if there
is a deep decline, in the congressional
districts and States of the AGRICULTURAL
West.
The Eisenhower appointments OF
businessmen to high office-a point
which has already led the titular head
OF the Democratic Party to suggest that
Eisenhower may be shifting from the
New Deal-Fair Deal to the big Deal"-
have been well received, the Republi-
cans declared. They do not see the
Democrats getting away with such an
issue, and they expect the businessmen
to improve the handling Of the Govern
ment's affairs, and particularly to save
money.
No Overconfidence.
The members Of the Republican Ma
tional Committee, Notwithstanding this
optimistic attitude, are bent on pre-
venting overconfidence. They are urging
party workers everywhere to increased
activity, particularly at the precinct
level. They are, too, setting about the
upbuilding of the national organization.
They know well that the 1854 campaign
for the election of the next Congress
is already under way. They are anxious
to hold onto the few House seats they
won in two or three Southern States
last November.
Frankly. they admit this will be diff
cult, with the Democrats bending every
effort to get these congressional dis
tricts back into line. They hope that
Eisenhower's leadership. even though
his name is not on the ticket next year,
will heln to keen the Ren11hlicane In