Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-11
Eisenhower Proerum
Seen Doing creditobIy
Writer Finds Administration
Headed in Right Direction

Writer Finds Administrator
Headed in Right Direction
BY Fronk Z. Kent
As this session Of Congress nears its
end . very encouraging demonstration
IS being given that propaganda does
not always prevail against facts. FOR
= good many months now the labor.
"liberal" and Democratic forces have
really drepched the country with
preachments and proclamation about
the lack Of accomplishment BY the
Eisenhower administration. The presi.
dent has been depicted as unable to
lead his party or the Nation, Is be-
Wildered. feeble and DISCOURAGED man
incapable Of coping with the poli-
ticiAns. unhappy In his Job. appalled,
BY the recession" IN business. de-
termined not to run again.
This, Of course, Is . false picture.
but 1t has been the one his opponents
have constantly presented for more
than q year. Concededly, while the
personal presidential popularity re-
mains high this sustained campaign
Of disagreement has had m effect
on many people. It disturbs some OF
the stanchest Of Gen. Ike's friends.
The reason Is thai, it IL conducted by
politicians. journalists, radio and tele-
vision commentators and columnists
Of great skill and experiences. Products
Of the Roosevelt Truman regimes, they
have become the top experts Of polit-
ical propaganda.
Nevertheless, at the moment the
anti Eisenhower propaganda appears
to have begged down and the propa-
gandiSts seem themselves to be con.
fused and contradictory. What has
hit them are the facts. Instead Of the
Presidents constructive program hav-
ing failed. it Is now realized that the
major portion Of 1t will be enacted
before the end Of the month. When
it Is considered that the administra-
ton majority in the House Is exceed
ingly slender and In the Senate is so
thin IS to be nonexistent, this ID an
extraordinary performance.
1t is true that because OF the labor
lobby and the unfounded fear Of labor
resentment in the election he tenn
porarily has lost In his effort to
amend the Taft-Hartley Act. Also, he
was unable to make good on his
promise to confer statehood on Hawaii.
But on both these issues he win have
another chance In the next session.
At this session, however. there Is TO be
listed on the credit side: u The
st. Lawrence seaway project which
every President since Coolidge advo-
Gated but was unable to enact; (2)
the passage Of general tax bill.
which not only reduces q number of
taxes but gives our tax system its
first general revision In 90 years; (3)
extension of the Social Security system
so rs to bring in from million to
10 million more citizens now uncovered;
90 enactment Of the administration
foreign-aid measures to which he was
committed.
All of these either have been passed
or are regarded IS reasonably sure
Of passage before the close. In addi-
ton there appears now to be better
than an even chance that the Presi-
dents farm proposals. abolishing the
rigid price supports, which have re-
suited In unmanageable and exceed
ingly costly SURPRISES will pass. Thus
the principle Of flexible supports has
been accepted by the House. At this
writing, prospects Of their acceptance
by the Senate are good. Also, It seems
sure that despite the different views
as to the Eisenhower housing pro-
posals there win emerge from the
conference committee a fairly sound
measure.
Add to all this the fact that there
has been steady decrease month by
month in the Federal pay roll and that
while the Federal budget Is not yet in
balance, the annual deficit IL some
So billion less than 1t was when the
Eisenhower administration took over.
In brief, We are going in the right
direction. This President has not
been able to accomplish everything
he promised. No President ever Is able
to do that even when he has large and
controlled party majorities. There al
ways are reasons, political or other
wise, that block perfect score.
With regard to Gen. Ike, these
tAAAAA6O Se%al Nc 0NAGs NAl 11O AAAS AlOb IGs
treated from any promise made in his
campaign: ca he has not been able to
redeem them all but he has tried and
he hasn't lied or ducked or lodged:
go it is perfectly clear that he has
done great deal. Further. It IL clear
he win keep on trying. Already, the
anti-Ike propagandists have begun to
change their tune. And some Of them
have been caught in glazing misrepre-
sensations. For example, few days
ago the noble Adlai Stevenson let go
blast ut the wickedness Of Republican
Senate leadership as exemplified by
Senator Knowland in his attitude
toward Red China and the United
Nations. This he piouily deplored rs
adding to the Presidents difnculties.
He altogether failed to mention that
the Democratic leader, Senator Lyndon
johnson Of Texas, had Endorsed the
Knowland position and made 1t his
own. It was not noble In Mr.. Steven
son to omit this. It was uncandid and
deceptive.