Evening star., 1959-11-12
Rhee Victory Predicted
As Koreo Starts Drive

party leadership and the presi-
dental nomination between the
two factions. Chough's old
guard moderates. sensing their
newly acquired stronger back
ing. want to make the presiden-
tial candidate concurrently par
ty chief.
Held High Posts
Both Chough and Chang for
merly held high positions in the
Rhee government. Sixty-five-
year-old Chough, a Columbia
University graduate, was police
commissioner during the United
States Military Government
days, Chief Korean observer to
the United Nations in 1949.
Minister of Home Affairs in
1850. He has been q member Of
the National Assembly since
1850.
Chang, so, is a graduate Of
Manhattan College and was
Korean U. N. observer in 1948
and 1850. He was Prime Min
lister in 1850. Elected to the
vice presidency in 1856. Chang
was shot in the hand in an
assassination attempt later that
year.
Precisely at the. time when
the Democrats were throwing
punches at their provincial con-
vention. Typhoon Sarah visited
that and other provincial areas,
killing TAT persons, leaving
$4,000 homeless and causing
an estimated 80 billion hwan
($160 million) worth Of dam
age. When the rains and winds
subsided. the Democrats con-
tinued their haggling but Presi-
dent Rhee's Liberal Party or
Iganization in that area turned
out en- masse to distribute relief
supplies. food and clothing to
the homeless and to several
thousand who probably didn't
have homes before the typhoon
anyway. Liberal Party stock
SCARED as a result.
In a not-so-inscrutable rally
ing move recently. Democrat
Chough announced that he was
withdrawing from contention
for the presidential nomina-
ton. In Scouts smoky, music
filled tea rooms, which are
informal political headquarters
the consensus is that even this
dramatic bid to unity the party
and get himself drafted into
running will not close the party
wound.
Liberals Improve
DiSilluSionment wit h thu
Democrats, who at present are
the only hope for a responsible
opposition, has been accom-.
panied by apparent marked
improvement in tactics by thu
Liberal Party organization
throughout the country. Rough
house methods are slowly Civ
ing way to more refined cam
paigning.
The Liberals will be puShini
for an election date early il
1860 to take advantage Of tn,
Democratic disorganization ant
to give the opposition less TIM
to campaign. Another reasoI
for early voting is to thwar
the Communists announced
plan to disrupt the election
through subversion and per
haps assassination.
A final underlying and un
derlining influence on the elec
ton is the economic upsurg
that has taken place in tn
besieged country. Government
workers salaries were doubles
last year; consumer goods ar
more plentiful, the rice harves
and pricing policies have beel
satisfactory. and the zoominI
standard Of living in Seoul j
gradually expanding into tn
provinces.
In short, the government
making headway against tn
myriad of economic trouble
besetting the country and tina
headway is at least somewha
recognizable among the people
This recognition and in
adequacy of the opposition +
challenge strongly, combine t
virtually assure return to powe
of the robust and silver-hairec
84-year-old legend that walk