Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-29
Health Issue
Creeping Back
Into Campaign
BY CECIL HOLLAND
star stan Correspondent

HAGERSTOWN, Md, Sept. 30
President Eisenhower's health
seemed on the way today to be-
coming a. campaign issue--and
that of Democratic candidate
Adlai Stevenson. too.
Questions on Mr.. Eisenhower'sE
health have begun intruding
themselves on Vice President
Nixon's cross-country tour, and
Mr.. Nixon is counterstriking
with:
And. incidentally, I was just
wondering how Mr.. Stevenson's
other kidney is doing today"
Questioned Twice In Day
The sharp rejoinder which
could set off a campaign battle
of medical bulletins took place
on Mr.. Nixon's arrival in Wheel
ing. w. Va. late yesterday after
noon. It was the second time I'M
the day the matter had come up.
The Vice President. apparently
Iirritated that the health question
had been raised, was referring toI
two operations Mr.. Stevenson
has undergone for kidney stones.
AS far as is known. the Demo-
cratic nominee has not had a
kidney removed.
Up until this time, all The can
didates have refrained from
making any direct issue of the
Presidents health as a result of
his heart attack in Denver on
September "a. 1855, and his
serious abdominal operation for
liletis last June 8.
Only mention of the Presi-
dents health which had come
up until yesterday during the
Nixon campaign originated with
the Vice President, himself. On
several occasions he has re-
ported to political audiences that
Mr.. Eisenhower twas feeling
fine"
Nixon Policy Query Starts 1t
The first pressing question on
the issue came up in Cincinnati,
Ohio, yesterday in one of innum-
cradle press conferences in
Nixon's path across the country
on this campaign tour.
1t was a Earring query by a.
reporter who asked what Mr.
Nixon's program would be and
would he carry out the Eisen-
hover policies if the President
died in Office.
Mr.. Nixon seemed shocked byI
the question. After a pause, he
said he had consistently de-
clined" to discuss matters of
that kind.
The President. Mr.. Nixon went
on. had met vigorously the COM
mitmentS he had undertaken I'M
the campaign and in the Coy
eminent. That, said the Vice
President, was "a complete an
swer" to those who might inject
the health issue into the cam
paign.
II might say in that connec-
ton" Mr.. Nixon added, my
opinion is that all the words
in the world aren't going to an
Swer anything as compared to
how he looks and how he feels
and that. in my opinion, is going
to be good"
Denies Lid Is OF"
The question arose again on
the Vice Presidents arrival at
Wheeling. when a reporter asked
at an airport news conference
III he thought that now the lid
had been taken OF the Presi-
dents campaigning, the health
issue will become more promi-
Inent."
Mr.. Nixon replied that the
question answers ITSELF" and
that it was not proper to say
the lid had been taken of. He
added that Mr.. Eisenhower had
never foreclosed the possibility
of more appearances than the
five or six talks originally sched-
|uled.
But will say this" Mr..
Nixon continued. I've seen the
President several times in the
past three weeks. He has never
looked better in the four years
he has been in the Presidency.
/ am not stating my opinion as
"a doctor, but would just sug-
gest this: BY his appearance
he's going to take the health
issue right out of the campaign"
Then he expressed Solicitude
about Mr.. Stevenson's kidney.