Evening star., 1954-10-24

Murred by Distortions
Writer Considers Democrats
Unfair to Administrator
By Fronk R. Kent
An ironical thing about the con-
gressional campaign, which now has
hardly more than o week to run. is
that the party and persons who
started out insisting that 1t be con-
Quoted upon the loftiest plane and
even signed pledge that they would
adhere to the highest ethical stand
ards" are the ones chiefly responsible
for q contest more full OF gross mis-
representations than any other that
can be recalled In long time.
Here, in the last week that is the
charge. made with what seems to be
convincing proof, against the Dem
ocratic Party and its acknowledged
leaders. It has not been charged by
any Democratic. ADA or labor leader
that either President Eisenhower or
Vice President Nixon or any other
recognized Republican spokesman has
distorted or nisrepresented what has
been said on the other side, though
there have been some very tempting
openings for such an attack. OF course.
the Republicans. as the party in power.
are on the defensive as far as their
record Is concerned and 1t Is subject
to legitimate criticism. However, the
point is that the Democrats have gone
SO far beyond that limit that something
Of reaction iS nouy hoinn avVoorio~noA
For example. q few days ago Mr..
Truman. after belaboring the Eisen-
hover foreign policy, explained that
in order to re-establish q genuine BIZ
partisan foreign policy the President
needed Democratic Congress. The
absurdity Of this, as made plain by
Mr.. Truman's own record during the
Both Congress, which the Republicans
controlled and he is still denouncing.
was 80 great that it made q good many
people laugh. Because, Mr.. Truman
then had exactly what he now wants
to give Mr.. Eisenhower "a Congress
dominated by the other party) and was
OF course. wholly helpless. Mr.. Steven
son, following this Truman speech. did
not. Of course, have to excuse his own
record (never having been President)
put, In effect he Endorsed what Mr.. Tru-
man said. They both profess eagerness
to help Mr.. Eisenhower by taking away
his control Of Congress- noble idea.
indeed.
The phoniness of this. both on the
part OF Mr.. Truman and on the part of
Mr.. Stevenson, the two outstanding
Democratic leaders OF this campaign, is
almost too obvious to point out. but 1t
was very effectively pointed out by
Arthur Krock in the New York Times
last Tuesday. Then there is the Oft
repeated Misrepresentation, by Walter
Reuther and others. Of the unemploy-
ment situation, by avoiding the oficial
figures and using those which best suit
their purposes. The fact is that except
during the war years when the country
was producing for and waging war, the
unemployment figures of this year (the
first nine months showing 1886, 900, an
average Of So per cent? compare favor
ably with any Truman Roosevelt year
since 1884. In brief. the Reuther fig
ures are false and the Democratic claim
one Of complete Misrepresentation.
For example, in 1887 the percentage
OF jobleSs workers, according to Charles
Lucey, who made an intensive analysis
for the World Telegram Sun, was 14.3
per cent and in 1888 1t was 10 per cent.
No shriekS about the depression were
then heard from the left-wing leaders
who now are screaming their heads of
about the administrations alleged in
difference to the unemployed, well
knowing that the administration Is do
ing everything possible to reduce un-
employment and that there is neither
substance nor truth in their charges.
How far one can get with this kind Of
cheap fakery remains to be seen. Ac-
cording to the dispatches of the travel
ing correspondents and the pollsters,
every part of the country. Certainly,
they are making claims Of very ex-
pansive nature and have reached the
point where they seem to have the Re-
publicans not only on the defensive,
but definitely discouraged.
That Is all except "Ike." No one
charges that either he or Mr.. Nixon
have not kept their campaign on
high level. The President has made
no reply to the rather dirty insinua-
tions and allegations aimed at him
by such men as Chairman Mitchell
of the Democratic National Commit
tee; by Adlai Stevenson himself, who
is an open aspirant for the presi-
dency, and unwilling to give the present
White House incumbent credit for
anything; by Mr.. Truman, whose last
speech showed he had not progressed
an inch beyond his "give 'em hell"
technique, and others.
So far as the President is concerned,
he has asked for the election to Con-
gress Of men who will support him
and his program but he has asked for
it from Democrats and independents
as well as Republicans. He has ex-
planned what his administration has
achieved and what part Of his program
remains to be acted upon. At no time
has she lost his temper, or resorted to
personalities or complained of the mis-
representation and untruthS which
have emanated from the opposition.
Apparently, he has gone on the as
sumption that the American people.
when fully informed Of the facts by
an honest and capable man, will re-
spond to them and will not be diverted
or deceived. II he Is right in this
assumption, he has no reason to be
apprehensive about the voters on No
vember Q. Conceding his honesty and
competency, the experts" are assum-
ing that he overrates the intelligence
of the American people and undertakes
TT7I~~ -