Evening star., 1954-12-22
The Political Min
N
Hour Of Decision Near
For Republican Purty
VIII II Follow Eisenhower,
Or 60 the Old Guord Wcy?
The Political Min
BIZ Gould Lincoln


crossroad. It must either turn UP the
Eisenhower progressive moderate road
or down the Old Guard way.
President Eisenhower has made 1t
apparent he win use every bit Of in
fiuence he has--and it Is plenty--t0
build up the party under progressive
moderate leadership. He has. in fact.
laid it on the line. both to the Republi-
cans who supported him in 1852 and
to all those who have supported him
since he became President, In his recent
press conferences. The President made
clear his thinking to his principal polit-
ical aides. supporters and advisers at
q White House dinner Monday night.
The understanding Is he won instant
SUPPORT for his proposals.
Included In the long list of important
party leaders were Vice President
Nixon. Republican National Chairman
Leonard w. Hall. Attorney General
Brownell, national chairman when Gov.
Dewey of New York was presidential
candidate: Postmaster General SUM
merfield. who as national chairman
handled the Eisenhower 1852 cam
paign; Sherman Adams, assistant to
the President. and Ambassador Henry
Cabot Lodge, jr., who directed the 1852
Eisenhower preconvention campaign
which resulted in the Presidents nomi-
nation over the late Senator Taft of
Ohio.
Gauntlet Is Down..
The President has, in effect, thrown
down the gauntlet to those conservative
Republicans who have shown them
selves unwilling to 60 along with the
Eisenhower program- "A program which
he has called progressive and dynamic.
Obviously some Of them are not going
to like it. But the President has made
1t clear that II some of the conserva-
tives wish to go their way. that is that.
The reaction Of Senator Knowland
OF California. the Republican leader
Of the Senate. to the Presidents de-
mand for q Republican Party led by
progressive oderates is awaited with
interest. Recently. Senator Knowiand
commented that the most important
problem of the day. politically. was
to unite the Republican Party; to get
all Republicans into it, rather than
invite some Of them out. Further.
Senator Knowland, when pressed by
reporter as to the need for renomina-
tion of President Eisenhower in 1866,
would say only: "The first essential Is
to hold the Republican Party together
and turn in a record that is acceptable
to the American people. Let 1866 take
care of itself"
Obviously. Gen. Eisenhower is not
seeking to drive any one out OF the
Republican Party What he Is trying
to do is to strengthen the party. He
is doing 1t, moreover. for the purpose
of G. O. p. victory in 1956-either with
himself or another progressive -moder-
ate as the party's presidential nominee.
His view. apparently. is that the party
will be stronger If it goes along the
progressive oderate line. He has not
declared himself or committed himself
in any way to run again. But it is
certain that the group he had with
him at the White House wants him to
seek a second term In the White House.
Many OF the group believe he will be
candidate when the time comes.
Chairman Hall, for example, recently
made fiat prediction that Gen. Eisen-
hover will be the party candidate.
Progressive Program.
Gen. Eisenhower's legislative pro-
gram has to come before the 84th
Congress tits q progressive but by
no means radical program on the do
mestic side. The President, indeed, has
taken Arm stand against what he
calls creeping socialism. He believes
in the rights and duties of the States
in the field Of government and is
against having the Federal Government,
take over activities that properly be-
long to the States. The more conserya-
tive Republicans will have to make
up their minds whether they will sup
port the Eisenhower program--and
whether they will 60 along with the
President in party affairs.
Gen. Eisenhower Is not the only Re-
publican President who has had to.
buck the uitraconservatives President
Theodore Roosevelt faced them again
and again. and won many concessions
from them while he was in the White
House. The Old Guard In 1912, how
ever, was too strongly in charge Of
the Republican organization when Col.
Roosevelt sought to win another presi-
Dental nomination against. the then
President William Howard Taft. II
Gen. Eisenhower is successful in his
drive for ali organization controlled by
progressive -moderates, the Old Guard
will not succeed in nominating one of
their wing two years hence.