Evening star., 1954-10-20

ing World War II. He has an
ALB. degree from Wayne Univer-
sity and a law degree from the
University of Michigan. He has
made an active campaign, and is
now making his final drive, at
tacking Gov. Williams as a
captive" of the CIO. who would
rather have run for the Senate
this year against Senator Fergu-
son but took his orders from
Walter Reuther and is running
for a fourth term. Like Repub-
licans in other States, Mr.. Leon
ard is wrapping the Eisenhower
cloak about himself, declaring
that the President has cleaned
up the mess in Washington and
all Republicans should take the
aggressive in this campaign in
stead of allowing themselves to
be pushed in to a defensive at
titude by the Democrats.
I'm not a captive of any
group" Mr.. Leonard says. Our
party is united"
Ambitions of Williams.
Mr.. Leonard's comment that
Gov. Williams would rather have
run for the Senate is not ac-
cepted, however, by all observers
here. Gov. Williams, some say,
is tremendously ambitious. He
is looking. not for vice presi-
Dental nomination but for a
nomination for President. per-
haps in 1856. Knowing that
Democrats are prone to select
presidential nominees from the
ranks of governors rather than
from the Senate, he prefers, they
say. to run for a fourth term in
Lansing. If he can become gov
ernor in a big Republican State, !
he can not be counted out when
it comes to selecting a Demo-
cratic candidate for President.
Doubtless. he would accept a
vice presidential nomination two
years hence if it came his way.
If Adlai Stevenson, former
Governor of Illinois, is to be the
Democratic nominee for Presi-
dent again, however, Gov. Will
liams could scarcely expect to
have a place on the ticket with
him-for geographic reasons. So
Gov. Williams is really grooming
himself for first place-in the
event Mr.. Stevenson is not
wanted. If he fails to land the
Presidential nomination, he could
still move into second place with |
a Democratic candidate from the
East or the Far West.
When Mr.. Stevenson came to-
Michigan recently to speak for
the Democratic ticket, Gov. Will |
liams introduced him as the |
next President of the United |
States" This could mean, of ,
course, that Gov. Williams would
support Mr.. Stevenson for the
1856 presidential nomination. It
could also be regarded as a tact
full gesture inclined to gain
Stevenson support for Gov. Will
liamS should Mr.. Stevenson eth
er decline to be a candidate or
not be able to make the grade
in the 1856 Democratic National
convention.
There is another reason given,
however, for Gov. Williams
seeking reelection instead of
trying for the Senate. The
Democrats had no other candi-
date for Governor who could
hope to win. If Gov. Williams
went to Washington as Senator.
1t was feared, the Democratic
Party in Michigan would again
be in for dry time. And Gov. |
Williams, himself; would have
found himself inconspicuous as
a freshman Senator. And
finally, Blair Moody wanted to
try again for the Senate.
Here in Michigan the CIO and
the Democrats are making as
much as they can of the re-
marks of Charles E. Wilson, Sec
retary of Defense, regarding the
unemployed. bird dogs and ken
nel-fed dogs. While they do not
expect the Wilson faux pas to
change many votes. they count
on it's bringing many labor
voters to the polls, in resent
ment, who might otherwise have
sfaund ourou