Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-08-21
President Finds
Congess' Action
Disappointing
By GARRETT D. HoRNER

President Eisenhower said
today he is tremendously dis
appointed" with the record of |
the current session of Congress. !
He rejected, however. any
idea Of personally leading a
"give 'em hell" type of partisan
campaign in the 1858 Republic |
can drive to win control of
Congress from the Democrats.
Despite his disappointment |
With achievements Of Congress
this year-in which some Re-
publicans have to share the
blame-the President told
news conference that he does
not regret having run for his
second term.
Mr.. Eisenhower was re-
minded that this is the time
OF year in which appraisals of
what Congress has done gen.
orally are made and was asked
what sort of Job he thinks
1t has done this year.
He remarked that Of course
he was tremendously disap-
pointed that so many of the
things he had recommended
had not been acted on in
Congress.
Cites COuntry'S Welfare
Emphasizing that these rec
concentrations were not Just
pet projects Of my own" Mr.. |
Eisenhower said his governing
reason in making them was
the concern of all the country. |
Therefore. for the sake of the
country, he said he is dis |
appointed.
The President refused to list
the things on which congress
sional inactiop was most dis
appointing, saying he did not /
want to limit the program by
making any list that might |
leave out something.
Asked If he blamed what he
considered congressional fail
ures entirely on the Democrats |
who now control Congress or if 4
Republicans must share the /
blame. he said that everybody 1
who voted against what he
thought was the right thing to
do had to share the blame. \
Outlines Campaign Role
A reporter told the President
that some Republicans at the
Capitol believe that to save
some parts of his program he
will have to campaign in the
congressional elections next
year in a much more partisan
and give 'em hell" way than
he has done so far.
Mr. Eisenhower said he
thought he would have to do 1
what was natural for him in /
the 1858 campaign. His cam
paigning method. he went on,
is to plead for programs that |
he believes are good for Amer
lea. He added with a smile |
that of course he believes Re- 4
publicans have the better pro- |
gram, and so is partisan to
that extent.
Mr.. Eisenhower also said he |
did not believe that the fact |
that the Constitution bars him |
from seeking a third term is a
decisive factor in his troubles
with Congress.
Any member of Congress 4
should decide his vote on what |
he believes is good for the |
country and not just to be vot-
ing with him, the President
said.
Other topics on which the
President commented at his
news conference included:
Gettysburg Farm. He and
Mrs. Eisenhower have not yet
reached any definitive agree
ment about whether their Get
tysburg pa farm eventually 4
will be turned over to some
public agency. Mr.. Eisenhower
said. He added with a smile
that he believed his wife would /
have the final say about that. i
Vacation. Mr.. Eisenhower
said he will have to stay in
Washington as long as both
houses Of Congress are in ses-
sion. He added that he still /
plans to go to the Newport
CR. H. naval base for vacation
II 1t turns out that he can get
away in about 10 days. The
President remarked with
smile that his vacation plans
seem to become more indefinite
every day.
New auto prices. He said he
has referred to his economic
advisers and the Labor Depart
ment for study a proposal by
Walter Reuther. head of the
United Auto Workers. that the
prices OF 1858 automobiles be
cut nv 500 to help combat in
flatlon. He said the idea OBJ
viously presents complicated
problems that are not readily
discernible or understandable.
Lead and Zinc. Administra-
ton proposals in Congress for
a sliding scale tariff increase
on lead and zinc imports. keyed
TO price levels, we're put for
ward as a special case to meet /
what was described to him as
q critical situation.
But, the President said, he
believes the best way to handle
any such problem in which a
domestic industry claims it is
being injured by imports is the
established method Of a COM
mission study followed by presi-
dental action.