Evening star., 1954-06-06
Mrs. Smith Is Seen
As Easy Winner
verMcC Carthy' sMan
BY the Asseeiated Press

BY me ASsoeIotod Press
PORTLAND. Maine. June S.
Senator Margaret Chase Smith,
Republican,of Maine, is pound
ing down the campaign trail bid
ding for q heavy vote Of conf
dence in a denomination fight in
which Senator Joseph II. Nc
Carthy is peering over her shoul-
der.
AS this point, more than two
weeks ahead Of Names June II
primary, many Maine political
experts and most of the ordi-
nary people button -holed on
street corners figure she Is going
to win easily.
The talk is almost all Smith.
Even some of the staunchest
supporters Of Robert L. Jones,
the untested political newcomer,
say that while they hope he wins
they doubt ne can.
It's strictly a two-way scrap
between Mrs. Smith, no admirer
of Senator Mccarthy, and MIR.
Jones, who is, in the only big
Statewide tusSle Of the pri-
mary.
Both Mr.. Jones and Senator
Mccarthy have denied that Sen
ator Mccarthy has taken hand
in the Maine primary in any way.
Whether they have sold the peo-
pie of the State on that is a
question. You get a lot Of an
swerS in the negative.
First Venture.
Mr.. Jones is "a, handsome,
black-haired, blue-eyed. His
main venture into Maine politics
has been in Young Republican
activities.
His residence is Biddeford, 16
miles southeast of here-a Demo-
cratic strong point in State
where the COP. has been in
power for 20 years. In recent
years he has been in Washing
ington, as an assistant to former
Senator Owen Brewster, Repub-
lican, of Maine, and then to SEN
ator Potter, Republican, of Mich
igan. He has been q Stand-in
for Senator Potter at some of
the CommuniSt-hunting hearings
of the Senate Investigations sub
committee of which Senator Nc
Carthy is chairman.
"AmericaniSm," Mr.. Jones says,
Consists of McCarthyism. Nc
Carthyism represents to me fer
reting out Communists"
Mr.. Jones is a champion not
only of Senator McCarthy's Red
hunting but also Of his methods.
which he says are secondary"
But in a State where consider
able criticism can be heard of
the effects on the country of the
Army McC Carthy row-even from
Mr.. Jones himself-he hasn't
been bearing down lately on his
support for the Wisconsin Sen
ator.
Mrs. Smith is a veteran of four
terms in the House and one in
Senate-the only woman ever
elected to both branches of Con-
gress.
She is Sc, chic, silvery haired,
with gray-blue eyes that compile
ment her favorite color in
clothes. And she has a proven
power to pull votes in Maine.
Famed Declaration.
-Four years ago, at a time when
Senator Mccarthy was getting
we'll into his search for Reds in
Government, Mrs. Smith came
out with a famed declaration of
conscience" against what she
termed "the reckless abandon in
which improved charges have
been hurled"
In this campaign. she hasn't
gone after Senator Mccarthy by
name. After all, he isn't running.
But she has talked rather
pointedly of smear and Slander,
and her audiences get the idea
she has somebody specifically in
mind.
So. while plenty can happen
in the vital. final phases of a
campaign. this one hasn't caught
fire so far.
Neither candidate is pulling
big crowds. A definite If i'm
measurable indifference is ap-
parent among Maine voters.
There is as must talk Of fishing
as Of politicS-at the height Of
the season for both.
AS many Maine Political
analysts see it, this ho-hum at
titude is based largely on a feel
ing that Mr.. Jones isn't well
enough known and lacks the
political experience to give Mrs.
Smith a really tight race.
AS a result, the rest of the Ma
ton may be more excited about
the primary than Maine is, since
the controversial Senator Nc
Carthy is q figure in the back
ground, whether or not he wants
to be.