The Key West citizen., 1954-02-11
THE WORLD
TODAY
By JAMES MARLow

0eut 6iheLAuOWcE stdu0s dlOOI 1LOm
the day-by-day political strife, his
Republicans 90 around knocking
ehe Democrats hats off. It's get
ting on the Democrats nerves.
Now they're calling on Eisen.
hover 10 halt the Republican at
tacks, If he disapproves, or say
openly he endorses them, IL he
does. In this effort TO put him On
the spot, the Democrats relation
ship with him has taken q sudden
turn.
In his public statements dealing
with Democrats Eisenhower has
practiced the precept-"with NAL
ice toward none"--laid down by
Abraham Lincoln, whose birthday
Friday the Republicans are busy
celebrating.
Because Of this, or because they
have a healthy respect for his pop
ularity, Democrats generally have
said nothing mean about him.
It's rare relationship which
seems in danger of disappearing in
this election year for, if the Re-
publican attacks continue along
their present line, the Democrats
may not let Eisenhower stand aloof
from partisan brawls.
The Democrats started calling on
him to say where he stood after
a weekend blast at them by his
No. / White House assistant,
Sherman Adams.
Adams in a speech Saturday
night climaxed the Republicans
own growing irritation over the
Democrats harping on the pres
ent business downturn. He said:
Democrats who talked about de-
preston were a bunch Of political
"sadists" trying to hand the coun-
try a Fear Deal" This, coming
from someone so close to Eisen-
hover as Adams, set the Demo-
Gratis afire.
But it wasn't the only match the
Republicans had applied to them.
The Democrats were ablaze over
another question:
After all the Republican talk in
the 1852 campaign about Commu-
nists in government, just how
many Communists did the Repub-
licans find when they took over
from the Democrats?
Eisenhower himself announced
1900 government employees had
been separated" from their jobs
under his security program. Under
that program a person could be
fired not only for being a Com
muniSt or Communist sympathizer
but for being a drunk, homosexual
or gossip.
How many Of the 2,2OO were
found to be actual Communists or
fellow travellers or otherwise SUBJ
versive and how many were let
out for the various other reasons?
Eisenhower didn't say.
In spite of demands by Demo-
Gratis in Congress, and repeated
questioning of the President by
newsmen, the administration still
hasn't said how many of the sep
arated" people were subversive.
Democrats protested in the Sem
ate that Republicans inside and
outside the White House have been
implying most of the separated"
employees were Communists.
The question about the number
of Communists uncovered by the
Republicans Is not academic. Some
powerful Republicans have insist
ed Communists in government
would be a main issue in this
years congressional elections. Eli
senhower has said he hopes any
fear of Reds actively undermin.
ing" the government will have dis.
appeared by November.
II the administration ever pro.
vldeS q breakdown showing none
or only a handful of the 1900 were
subVersive, the Republicans viii
have lost a lot Of ammunition. The
Democrats viii have gained it. If
1t turns out the other way. the
Democrats will be sorry they ever
raised the question.
Last year Democrats helped Ell
senhower on certain pieces of leg.
islation. Even more this year.
when the Democrats outnumber
Republicans in the Senate and are
almost even with them in the
House, Eisenhower will need Dem.
ocratic help on his program.
But while the democrats NAV
mutter about not giving him con-
tinusd support, on a matter of ma.
tional welfare the democrats will
have difficulty opposing an Eisen.
hover program on partisan pOliti-
cal grounds.