Evening star., 1954-12-26
President Held Capable
OF Tokinq Foes Abuse

Writer Sees Mex cCurthy Aiding
Democrats Smeor Cumpoign
By Fronk R. Kent
It is rather pity at this season Of
good viii to have to report that among
Democratic politicians, operating In
and out Of the Nations Capital, there
is developing what appears to be the
biggest name-calling campaign we
have had since the organized smear OF
former President Herbert Hoover
which was directed by the late Charlie
Nicholson back In 1929. It was then
that the word smear" got into our
political language. II was first ap-
piled to the Nicholson attack.
This time. of course. the target II
President Eisenhower and the plan Is
not only admitted but advertised. That
Is why there should be no delay in
making clear its true nature. For sew.
eral weeks now Democratic spokes-
men Of one sort and another have
been openly proclaiming that the time
has come to take OF the gloves" so
far as Mr.. eisenhower Is concerned.
Up to recently, except for one or two
Senator Wayne Morse, the self-styied
Independent Of Oregon. the Eisen-
hover opponents have avoided any
thing like personal attack. What has
deferred them is his apparently un-
shakable popularity throughout the
country. After much conferring and
exchanging Of views Democratic Party
leaders have almost unanimously con-
cluded that their only chance to win
in 1865 is to destroy that popularity.
The corollary to that conclusion IL
that the only way this can be done Ia
by "going after" Gen. he and
showing him up" II the various
Democratic authorities can be be-
heved this is to be their party strategy
beginning with the convening Of the
new Congress. now dominated By the
Democrats. right after the new year
begins. The new Democratic national
chairman. Paul Butler, has already
proclaimed this party policy and scme
OF the party journalists have begun TO
expand. Mr.. Butler Qualities hts
proclamation by declaring that there
will be no utilization" Of Mr.. Esen.
hover. However. .vilification 10 some.
thing that is determined by the point
OF view.
1t may be that the national COM
mittee publicity assault upon the Pres
ident may be somewhat restrained BY
the fear Of popular reaction. But no one
expects restraint from two Of the main
adjuncts Of the national committee
one the CIO. Of which Walter Reuther
hAaQ. hA ~
for Democratic Action (ADA), of which
at present Arthur Schlesinger, jr., q
real left winger," o ghost writer for
Mr.. Stevenson In 1852 and an acknowl-
edged Harvard intellectual" is the
guiding spirit.
Mr.. Schlesinger has something OF a
reputation as harsh and extreme
critic Of those who do not happen to
share his prejudices and predictions
but. Of course, he does not equal Mr..
Reuther in the violence and vitupera-
ton Of his public utterances. However,
Mr.. Schlesinger and his ADA, along
with Mr.. Reuther and his CIO, will
formidably supplement Mr.. Butler and
his "nonvilincation" committee output.
Also. there will be the fanatical follow
ers of Senator Mccarthy. who has COM
pletely broken relations with the Presi-
dent. Strangely enough there are also
. the Communists who hate the Presi-
dent--and with good reason--just as
much as they do Mccarthy
When It Is considered, too, that Mr..
Reuther. who will not let words like mo
vilification" cramp his style, is not only
prominent member Of Mr.. SchleSing-
er's ADA but also powerful influence
In the Democratic Party nationally, IL
can be realized that Gen. Ike 10
in for some rough stun from here out.
Some of the assailants, like Reuther,
will accuse him Of wickedly betraying
the people and selling out to the "in-
terests" Others Of the self-styled "non-
vilification" group will intimate that
he lacks courage and really Is mot
very bright"
This is the sort of thing that clearly
lies ahead for the President next year.
Both his friends and his foes are in
terested as to how he will react to these
vilifying and nonvilifying personal as
saults, Can he take it?" they ask. Those
who know him best are not disturbed
about that. They think Ike will handle
that situation, as he has handled
others, without losing either his temper
or his dignity. Nor will the Republican
spokesmen remain inarticulate. A week
or so ago James Reston In the New
York Times. commenting upon the
alleged troubles Of Mr.. Eisenhower in
both parties, quoted ex-President Tru-
man as rather foolishly saying, Poor
old Ike, feel sorry for him." ''Yes."
wrote Mr.. Reston. Poor old Ike. All
he has left is the American people"