Evening star., 1960-10-12
NIXON
continued From First Page

previous meetings, while deny
ing the accuracy Of Mr.. Nixon's
estimates that the Democratic
program would cost at least
$40 billion a year more than
the programs I have adj
vocated."
HE owes it to the American
people," Mr.. Nixon said, "on-
our television debate Thursday
not to dodge any longer, but
to give the people the answers
to these questions:
81. If my figures are wrong,
what are his figures as to how
much his programs will cost?
20. How does he propose to
pay for these programs;
"3. Is he going to raise taxes?
"4. If he is not going to inn
pose burdensome new taxes,
how can he finance his program
without huge new deficit A.
nancing that will once again
start prices going up and bust
the budgets of millions of
American families?
IS. Or is he going to finance
these programs on high hopes
banking on revenues from an
artif1cially forced rate of ex-
pansion of the economy?
This poke at the budgetary
effects of Senator Kennedy's
domestic programs came after
a day in which Mr.. Nixon made
it plain that he had decided
his best hope to sink his rivals
ambitions lay in the six-year-
old dispute over American
guarantees for the Nationalist
held offshore islands.
The matter popped into the
campaign last Friday when a
questioner on the Nixon-Ken-
nedy TV show asked the Sena-
tor if he believed Quemoy and
Matsu were unwise places to
draw our defense line in the
Far East" and if he thought
"a pullback from those islands
couldn't be interpreted as ap-
peasement."
The gist of Senator Ken
nedy's answer was contained in
these sentences:
II believe if you are going to
get into a war with the de-
fense Of Formosa, it ought to be
on a clearly defined line. -. I
would not suggest a withdrawal
(from Quemoy and MatSu at
the point of a Communist gun.
1t is a decision finally that the
Nationalists should make, and I
believe we should consult with
them and attempt to work out
a plan by which the line is
drawn at the island of For
moSa. -.
II think it is unwise to take
the chance of being dragged in
to a war which may lead to a
world war over two islands
which are not strategically de-
fensible, which are not .es-
sential to the defense of For
mosa.
II think we should protect
our commitments. I believe
strongly we should do so in
Berlin. But I do not believe
that that line, in case of a war,
should be drawn on those
islands, but instead on the
island of Formosa."
Crowds Cheer Attacks
Yesterday, Mr.. Nixon seized
on those words as an example
Of the kind of "woolly, fuzzy,
soft-headed thinking" that, he
said, led to the loss of China
and the Korean War and would
lead again Ito war or surrender
. or both"
Audiences in Albuquerque
and San Diego cheered his as
sault on Senator Kennedy's
stand with a vigor that seemed
to support the Vice Presidents
belief that he had found a real
chink in his opponents armor.
The issue seems beautifully
designed for Mr.. Nixon's need,
because it gives him an oppor-
tunity to link his campaign to
the spectacularly successful
1852 Republican attack on the
policies Of former President
Truman and his Secretary of
State, Dean Acheson.
1t also enables him to play
upon the concerns that poll
sters found so important in
Mr.. Eisenhower's 1852 victory
the fears many voters felt
that Democrats were unable
to halt communism or to keep
the country out of war.
Finally, this issue-along
with the previous dispute over
Senator Kennedy's statement
that President Eisenhower
might have expressed apologies
or regrets to Premier Khru-
shchev over the U-2 flights
enables Republicans to pic
ture the Democratic nominee
as IAN apostle of appeasement,"
to quote G.. o. P. Chairman
Morton, or one who is danger
ously naive" to use the Vice
Presidents own favorite phrase.
Something over 5000 people
were ] ahmed into the AL
buquerque civic auditorium
yesterday afternoon, where Mr..
Nixon began developing the
critique of Senator Kennedy's
stand with all the subtle skill
for which he is renowned.
The size of the crowd cheered
local Republicans, who regard
Mr.. Nixon as the slight under
dog in a close struggle for the
States four electoral votes.
The Vice President told the
New MeXicanS, You may never
have heard of Quemoy and
Matsu. but you'll be hearing
lot about them in the next few
weeks and months, because
they have become a symbol, a