Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-09-26
Stricken President

Stricken President
The overriding concern Of everyone
at this stage OF the Presidents illness
Is for his full recovery from the "mod-
crate heart attack which he suffered
early Saturday morning.
It Is difiicult -more so than In the
case Of most men--to associate the Pres
ident with serious illness. His rugged
health and buoyant spirits had seemed
impervious to the affiictions which beset
the general run Of mankind. But as we
have seen, heart attack Is no respecter
Of persons. And 1t matters not whether
the victim be In the ranks or at the
highest level Of command when an at
tack Is suffered the prescription is rest,
as nearly complete as possible for a long
period Of time.
Fortunately, this viii impose mini
mum handicap on the ftlnctioning OF the
Eisenhower administration. There has
been tendency on the part OF some to
fidicule the Presidents fondness for
planning, for organization and for stan
work. There have been those who
thought that he was delegating too much
% his subordinates, divesting himself Of
too many of the details Of administering
his office. But 1t Is indeed fortunate that
be did bring this military concept Of stan
work into the White House: For while
the Presidents leadership and guidance
will be sorely missed, especially in the
field Of foreign relations. there is every
reason to expect that the necessary work
can-and will-go forward during his
illness. Mr.. Eisenhower has been his adj
ministration's hrmest opponent Of any
doctrine of indispensability, and the
country is the better for it today.
It is when one looks to the future
that uncertainty piles upon uncertainty.
II the Presidents convalescence follows
the usual course, 1t viii be perhaps as
long as three months before he can re-
sumo his normal duties. And after that
there still will be about IS months left
eof his term. This win be period Of criti-
cal Importance to the country and to the
World at large. For the forces which are
MAPPING the destiny Of mankind cannot
he held in allegiance because OF the Illness
sUf any man. The decisions which will
operate for or against a peaceful world
viii have to be made, and one can only
hope and pray that the Presidents health
win permit him to continue to devote
hts splendid and demonstrated qualities
Of leadership to this work.
II these considerations properly APP
ply to the balance Of the Presidents
term Of Office. they apply with even
greater force to the four succeeding
years.
Mr.. Eisenhower will be IS years old
next month. He would be over 70 at the
end Of a second term. This factor OF
age and health is one of the things that
the President has had In mind in defer
ring q decision as to whether he would
run again. The other principal factor
might best be described as having to do
with his sense of duty-his conclusion
mt the appropriate time as to whether
the best interests Of the country required
him to seek another term.
It still remains, of course, for the
President to make this decision. But his
heart attack enormously increases the
probability that he will not again be
candidate. On grounds of health, even
though he makes satisfactory recovery.
It Is exceedingly doubtful that he should
seek Office again. And although his with
drawal would be a severe loss to the
Nation and a heavy blow to his party,
no one can nationally argue that Mr..
Eisenhower has q duty to expose himself
! to the hazards Of another term.
For almost is continuous years this
man has devoted himself to arduous
service to his country. The strain Of the
war years, of the struggle to rebuild
Europe and Of. his first term in the
White House has been great and cumula-
/ tive. Saturdays heart attack is the best
evidence on this point. No one has
right to ask that he should do more. II
the President, upon recovering from this
attack, decides to retire to the quiet
pleasures Of his Gettysburg farm when
his term Is over, he has more than earned
the right to do so.
Impostor
The East German Communists have
made much OF the contention that their
new sovereignty" treaty with Russia win
henceforth oblige West Germany to ne