The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-05-07
BY D. HAROLD OLIVER

WASHINGTON Up Democrats
have put up a cry for the admin.
istration to be done with "circus
Injuries" and "TV spectacles" and
come up with action to prevent a
cold war from blowing hot.
The Republican campaign slogan
of 1852, "Clean Up the Mess in
Washington" was thrown back at
the party in power last night at a
Jefferson-J ackson Democratic din.
ner that brought out an estimated
$500 diners at 500 a head-or
$150, 600 for the drive to elect a
Democratic Congress this fall.
Speakers told the cheering
throng that Republicans have
created "messes of their own" in
the Mccarthy entagon row and
have suffered serious "reversals"
on the Indochina question.
Unlike many previous 500 a
plate dinners by the Democrats in
Washington, last nights glittering
affair was generously attended by
Southerners. They sat alongside
old 'New Dealers" and "Fair
Dealers" in at least an outward
show Of unity.
Former President Truman, who
with his family, was a featured
guest, told the diners in a brief
informal talk: Gas leaders of the
free world we must have the
friendship Of our allies and we
can't have that if we insult them"
Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas,
Senate Democratic floor leader, de-
clared the Eisenhower administra-
ton has been "caught bluffing by
our enemies" and this country now
stands in danger of being cleft
naked and alone in a hostile
world"
Rep. Sam Rayburn of Texas,
House minority leader, said the
people heard a lot about a "mess"
in 1852 land you are hearing a
great deal more now" He said
Sen. Mccarthy (R-Wis) is the
problem" of the Republicans, not
the Democrats, and declared that
if the principals in the Mccarthy
Army scrap were Democrats, all
Republicans and a majority of the
newspapers would be saying:
"This is the biggest mess that
Washington has ever witnessed"
Adlai e. Stevenson, the Demo.
cratic presidential candidate in
1852, sent a message predicting
that the Republicans will have
Considerable experience as a
minority after November of 1884"
He himself was not able to attend
the banquet because of a kidney
operation.
Truman and Dean Acheson, his
secretary of state, were given
standing ovations when introduced.
Sen. johnson said Democrats
have opposed Republicans in Con-
gress Gin order to save" much of
the Presidents domestic program.
Hence, he said, they become con-
fused when they hear Eisenhower
say he needs a Republican Con-
gress to put that program across.
Asserting American foreign poll
cy ''has never in all its history
suffered such a stunning reversal"
as in the past few weeks, he said:
1--WE have been caught bluffing
by our enemies. Our friends and
allies are frightened and wonder
ing, as we do, where we are
headed. We stand. in clear danger
Of being Left naked and alone in
a hostile world. Only a few days
ago we observed our final humilia.
ton in the spectacle of the Amer
lean secretary of state backtrack-
ing the Atlantic from the confer
ence at Geneva.
"And, yes, a few weeks before
while in Berlin he had told his own
people that Geneva was the worlds
best hope"
It was something new for John
son to talk in such critical tones
about COP conduct of foreign poll
cy. He has made a point in the
past of cooperating with the Re-