Evening star., 1960-05-24

would make him meuectual as
Mr.. Truman is backing Sci
the nomination. Mr.. Stevenson,
uncommitted to anyone, is still
regarded as a possible compro-
mise convention choice.
Says He Lost Votes
In q full-scale assault on the
former Illinois Governor. Mr.,
Truman accused him Of cost
ing the party three or four mil
lion votes in 1852 by his failure
to give unqualified support
to the policies of the Truman
administration.
He also blamed Mr.. Steven
son for failing to exercise party
leadership from 1852 to 1856
and said his suggestion, during
the 1856 campaign, that the
United States suspend nu-
clear testing was not only bad
politics, but revealed 4. lack
Of comprehension of the i'm
plications Of this critical issue. /"
Wary of Comment
Mr.. Stevenson's only i'm
mediate comment was: II re-
spect President Truman, If not
his memory of events" An aide
said he might have more to
say on the subject later. Until
he does, most Democratic poll
ticians were reluctant to dis
cusS publicly the implications
Of Mr.. Truman's attack.
Their private judgments
ranged from a view that Mr..
Truman's opinions no longer
carried any political weight, to
an opinion that Mr.. Truman
may have paved the way for
the nomination of Senator
Kennedy of Massachusetts, by
scuttling Mr.. Stevenson.
Those who held the first view
noted that Mr.. Truman's oppo-
sition to Mr.. Stevenson did not
prevent him from winning the
nomination in 1856. Those who
held the second argued that
Mr.. Truman's statement open
ed a major breach between
hackers Of Senator Symington
and other Democrats and there
fore weakened the chances OF
forming a stop-Kennedy coali-
ton.
In the article. adapted from
his forthcoming book, "Mr.
Citizen" the former President
said he offered three times in
1852 to support Mr.. Stevenson
for the nomination because he
was the best prospect in sight
among the rising young Demo-
Gratis"
Mr.. Stevenson refused and
Mr.. Truman said he then asked
the late Vice President Barkley
to run.
LaSt-Minute Decision
Then" he wrote, "out of
the clear, on the day The presi-
dental candidate was to be
chosen. Gov. Stevenson tele-
phoned me at the White House:
he said that his friends wanted
to nominate him for President.
Would you object If I agree
to run?' Stevenson asked me.
We'll, I blew up. I talked to
him in language I think be had
never heard before. I told him
that for months I had been
trying to get, him to be Q can
didate. Now. at the last posi-
BILE moment he had changed
his mind"
Despite this, Mr.. Truman
said, he argeed to support Mr.
Stevenson. In fact, the former
President claimed, he secured
the nomination for him by tell
ing the party leaders that
regarded Stevenson as the To-
gical candidate. If I had
not flown to Chicago from
Washington, Stevenson would
not have been nominated.
Criticizes Campaign
In subsequent months, Mr.
Truman said, he was "disap-
pointed" that Stevenson went
out and conducted a campaign
that was not in support of the
Democratic program of Presi-
dent Franklin D. Roosevelt ano
myself. The way the cam.
paign was conducted cost the
party at least 3 to 4 millior
votes"
Again, Mr.. Truman said, he
was willing to forgive. After
the election, he wrote, 81 de.
cided to send a message tc
Stevenson pledging my full sup