Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-01-17
Eisenhower Is Certain
10 Run Again in 1856
Writer Suys President
Enjoys His Job !.

Writer Suys President
Enjoys His Job
By Frank R. Kent
Every few weeks or 50 rumors and
speculations appear in print and over
the air concerning two things which.
though they differ In some ways, are,
In fact. connected. One concerns the
state Of President Eisenhower's health:
the other concerns his alleged disincli-
nation to seek denomination In 1856.
Some 60 50 far as fiatly to say he will
not be q candidate. It Is unnecessary
to say that these speculations. rumors
and statements do not come from his
friends.
Obviously. should the Presidents
health be impaired he would not be
available for another term. Therefore.
IN discussing this subject, health should
be first considered. First It should be
said Gen. Ike was neither sickly boy
nor sickly man. He played football at
West Point and so far as recorded has
never had bad illness or accident.
Certainly it does not seem there is
anything serious the matter with man
of SO who can play 10 holes Of golf.
put In several hours of strenuous work
after dinner and get up for breakfast
at 1880. There is also the testimony of
his physicians as to his physical fitness
and further evidence from the men
who see him every day.
1t is true that during the last Roose-
Yelt administration misleading reports
Of the Presidents condition were put
out by his doctors and by White House
politicians, some of whom undoubtedly
knew he was an i'll man. There was
also the fact that Mr.. Roosevelt had
been q semi-invalid ever since his at
tack of polio, which occurred before
he was elected Governor Of New York
in 1928. There is the further fact that
Mr.. Eisenhower is not only truthful
man himself but 50 far as known has
no man on his stair from whom lies
about his health or anything else could
emanate. As time goes on mistakes
certainly will be made by this Presi-
dent and his aides. But there will be
no calculated deceit.
All this makes 1t seem that the
question Of health-at least for a while
could be dismissed and the question
OF whether he wants another term con-
Sidered by itself. OF course, he wants
another term. All Presidents have,
and as the late Admiral Carey Grayson.
who knew many Presidents well, used
to say: mo President ever left the
White House without a nostalgia pain
about the heart, which no doctor could
ever wholly alleviate" There is great
deal of truth in that statement. Never
theless, 1t is never merely question of
what the one-term President wants to
do. At the end of his first term through
the power Of his Office he not only has
the unquestioned ability to renominate
himself. but he inevitably is the logical
nominee Of his party.
Clearly the party has to run on
the record of its President. Not to
nominate him would be to repudiate
his record. This, of course, would
leave the candidate and his party in
a ridiculous position. 1t would be
licked from the start. The party has
to renominate its President and the
President, whether he likes it or not,
has to make the fight not only for the
party's sake but for his own There
has not yet been found a President
who was reluctant to run for the Sec
ond time, which is now all they con-
stitutionally can run for.
What it comes down to is this-any
normal, not too aged, moderately
healthy President who refused to run
for second term would be running
out on his own party. To refuse to
run, in effect. would be an act of po-
litical cowardice. It would be equiva-
lent to saying that he dared not face
the people on his own record It also
would be throwing to the wolves the
hundreds of thousands of party workers
to whom he had given jobs in his first
term. For it is perfectly certain that
if he could not win on his own record
no other person, running either on that
record or on reputation thereof,
could win. Hence, the denomination
of a one-term President is logical, right
and. barring some unforeseen act Of
Providence, is practically sure.
This is true, as our history will show.
even of weak and unpopular Presi-
dent, but with q strong and popular
President. such as Mr.. Eisenhower. it
is inevitable. All of which makes the
repetitious talk about Gen. Ike hav-
ing told his intimates that he will
not run again more than little silly.
He has not told his intimates any such
thing. He has had some troubles and
will have a lot more. But. make no
mistake, like all Presidents, he likes
his job and, like all Presidents. he will
try to hold on to it. That he will again
be his party's nominee in 1856 is as
certain as anything in politics can be
and every intelligent politician knows
it: Not only in 1854 but in 1856 the po-
litical fortunes of the Republican
members of Congress will be tied up
with Ike, who. admittedly. is stronger
with the people than any of them. OPP
position. of course, there will be, but
if there is better argument why these
Republicans will not wreck his pro-
gram, 1t has not yet been advanced.
employee is closely accounted for by
people who are also under surveillance
e. for the care and security of the
work. No employe can leave the room
from the time of arrival until quitting
time. and then only when everything
is reported correct and in the hands