Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-12

idential candidate, have leveled
Declaring II don't care wha
dent said he would leave it up
to Vice President Nixon and
other Republican campaigners to
answer in detail these Demo-
cratic charges.
When he was asked II he con-
sidered that the results Of the
Maine election on Monday in
dicated q Democratic trend in
the country. he replied firmly:
II do not"
do you think the coming
election will be close and that
the Democrats have q chance to
VIM" a reporter asked.
"Your opinion ought to be bet
ter than mine," the President
said, You have been following
the political contests throughout
your careers" And then he
added:
II would say that I regard
any contest as close until after
it is won."
The President was asked if he
thought the Democrats were do
ing better job of organizingtt ito
get out the yote-as in the
Maine election. He replied that
about 100000 votes has been
cast in that election, out of a
possible 100000. He said that he
had read that a greater percent
age of Republicans were not
registering to vote this year.
II deplore that situation" the
President commented, because
I think everybody ought to vote,
and frankly. I think it enough
that If a fellow felt he had to
vote against me, / still would
rather he voted than not vote
at all. Because I still believe
that the neglect of the freedom
Of voting is the first step toward
losing your freedom"
The President, again referring
to the Maine election, COM
mented that Maine has q very
popular Governor Edmund s.
Muskie) and that undoubtedly
he had helped other candidates
on the Democratic ticket to win
on Monday. The Democrats de-
feated one Republican Congress
man there and are running neck
and neck with another. The Sd
Maine congressional district was
carried by the Republican In
cumbent.
Shot at Stevenson
The President took one shot
at Mr.. Stevenson. He was asked
if he believed that it would be
possible to do away with the
military draft-which Mr.. Ste
venson, in addressing the Ameri-
can Legion convention in Los
Angeles recently, expressed q
IUpe COulu De uOIle.
I'm the immediate future
see no chance Of ending the draft
and carrying out the RESPONSE
bilities for the security Of the
country that must be carried
out"
The President threw cold water
on published stories he was plan
ming to increase materially the
part he will play in the fall
campaign. He said he had ear
lier announced he would make
five or six addresses, two of
three Of them outside Washing
ton. This plan, he said. has not
been changed.
A reporter asked whether the
President felt the Democrats
were making inroads on the farm
vote-which in the past has been
Republican. He replied that the
farm problem is confusing and
that not everybody agrees what
should be done about it. He said
the first thing that must be done
is to preserve the great agricul-
tural resources Of the country
and expressed belief that q
satisfactory program for the
farmers can be worked out. But
he said that such a program
must be based on principle.
IF that is what they want"
the President said. that is what
I will give. Otherwise, Of course
the American electorate has its
own way of settling the ISSUE"
The President said he consid-
cred the record made by his adj
n1inistration is good and that he
believed strongly in the program
laid down. In fact, he added
he thought more of the program
than of the record, for the sim
pie fact that he had not beer
able to get much Of the program
enacted.
ere kIa ,,aoNI. ..,.A IA ,l,