Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-08
The Political Mil
Illinois to Nominate
Candidates on Tuesdoy
Eosy Race Seen for Douglas;
Open Field for Republicans
The Political Mill

Easy Race Seen for Douglas;
Open Field for Republicans
By Gould Lincoln
Illinois starts the political ball roll
ing in earnest on Tuesday. It's primary
election for congressional nominations
is the first of all the States this year.
Senator Paul Douglas. Democrat. up
for denomination. will have no trouble.
On the Republican side of the fence,
the picture is different. Nine candi-
dates are running for the senatorial
nomination. The gossip is that Joseph
Meek. president of the Illinois Retail
Dealers Association. will come in first
when the votes are counted. Other
candidates who may run well include
Edward Hayes. former national COM
mander Of the American Legion; Brig.
Gen. julius Klein. who has been head
OF the Jewish War Veterans. and Aus
tin L. Wyman, leader of the Chicago
Crime Commission. Gen, Klein, pub
lie relations counsel, has been running
as q Taft Republican" hoping to re-
ceive the support Of the late Ohio SEN
ator'S large following In Illinois. Mr..
Wyman has been a strong Eisenhower
supporter. Mr.. Meek has supported q
constitutional amendment limiting the
Presidents treaty making powers and
is described as an admirer of Senator
Mccarthy, Republican, Of Wisconsin.
Senator Douglas has a large follow
ing in his State. He irritated some of
the Democratic organization leaders at
the time of the 1852 Democratic Ma
tional Convention by his lukewarmness
toward the nomination of Adlai Steven
son for President and his seeming pref
erence for Senator Kefauver of Ten
nessee. Democratic National Commit
tee man Jake Arvey. who led the fight
for Mr.. Stevenson's nomination, is ex-
pected, however. to line the organiza-
ton up for Senator Douglas next No
vember.
Illinois Situation.
The Republicans in Illinois, under
the leadership of Gov. Stratton and
Senator Dirksen, have built strong or
ganization. In Cook County a couple
of months ago, usually Democratic
stronghold, they were able to elect
eight out of Is judges. Given reason
able break in the economic situation
with no material recession-they ex-
pect to elect their candidate for the
Senate. Certainly the organization will
go to town for the Republican candi-
date, whoever he turns out to be. The
Governor and Senator Dirksen have
ctr 0f1 oil in inc
test Mr.. Meek. who is given an edge
in the race, is known all over the State
and is rated good speaker.
New Jersey stages the second pri-
mary election of 1854. The Republicans
and Democrats have centered on
their senatorial candidates there-the
G. 0. p. will nominate former Repre-
sentative Clifford Case, and the DEM
ocrats will name Representative Charles
r. Howell. New Jersey, which the DEM
ocrats carried for Governor last fall.
seems likely to elect Mr.. Case to the
Senate, unless there is real economic
slump-which undoubtedly would mean
a Democratic 84th Congress. The Re
publicans and good many economists
and businessmen say such slump WILL
not come.
Five States will hold their primary
elections May 4. They are Alabama.
Florida, Indiana, New Mexico and ONO.
Senatorial candidates are to be named
in three-Alabama, New Mexico and
Ohio. A heated contest has developed
in Alabama, where Senator Sparkman,
the Democratic nominee for Vice Presi-
dent. is seeking denomination and Is
opposed by Representative Laurie G.
Battle. In Ohio, the Democrats Will
renominate Senator Burke, former
Mayor of Cleveland. who Is serving
under appointment of Gov. Lausche in
the seat made vacant by the death OF
Senator Bob Taft. Representative
George Bender is expected to win the
Republican nomination and to wage an
active fight to supplant Senator Burke.
Touchy Situations.
Republican leaders are speaking more
hopefully of victory next fall-Whlle
holding their breath over the economic
situation. A major slump could ruin
them at the polls. Also. they are giving
some thought to what might be the
political situation if this country be-
comes involved in the fighting in Indo-
China. In this connection, however,
they are going along with President
Eisenhower and Vice President Nixon
in the belief that Communist China
will avoid forcing an issue which might
result in a third world war; The
President has made it clear there will
be no entry into the Indo-China fight
ing without bipartisan consultation and
action by Congress.
Two breaks have come the Republican
way this week. First, in Colorado
Senator Ed johnson. popular Democrat.
has taken himself out of the race for
the Senate there. It is expected that
Republican Gov. Dan Thornton will
eventually be the @. 0. P. nominee and
that he will have a good chance of
election. Second, Democratic National
Chairman Stephen A. Mitchell's at
tack on two Democratic candidates for
Congress in California-James Roose-
welt and Representative Robert L. Con-
don-has caused terrific row in the
party. much to the Joy of the Republic
cans. Further, Republican leaders
who have recently been in the Middle
West insist that the farmers are not