Evening star. [volume], September 07, 1948, Page A-13, Image 13

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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Poll Confirms View
Red Herring Charge
Was Political Blunder
Eight Out of Ten Voters
Say They Want House
Group to Push Probe
By David Lawrence
When President Truman called
the congressional committee dis
closures about Communist activity
a "red herring,” this correspondent
predicted that the American people
would not agree with him and com
mented that he had pulled a
“boner.”
It was not a difficult assumption
to make, based upon the consistent
support given by the American peo
ple to the House Committee on Un
American Activities during the
eleven years of its existence.
The Gallup Poll, just released,;
confirms that view. In its latest
canvass of opinion eight out of ten
voters say they want the House
Committee investigating Un-Ameri- \
can activities to pursue its inquiries. 1
The poll shows that 79 per cent of1
those asked wanted the investiga-i
tions continued, 15 per cent wanted!
them called off and 6 per cent ex-,
pressed no opinion.
On the question as to whether
the inquiry' is "purely politics,”
which was essentially the Presi
dent's "red herring” charge, 74 per
cent said they didn't think so while
only 17 per cent thought the hear
ings were political and 9 per cent
expressed no opinion.
Measure of Opinion.
It might be suspected that the
division was vastly different among
Republicans and Democrats, but it
turns out that 84 per cent of the
Republicans refused to believe that
politics was responsible for the con
gressional inquiries, and likewise an
overwhelming majority of the Dem
ocrats questioned, namely 71 per
cent, agieed with the Republican
denial. Even among the Independ
ents canvassed, 63 per cent stated
that they did not believe the in
quiry was political.
So it will be observed that in this j
measure of public opinion Presi
dent Truman completely miscalcu
lated the public reaction.
“People who say they are going
to vote for Henry Wallace." reports
George Gallup, “in the main, believe
the hearings are primarily political
in nature.”
me “arior FinKS nave Deen
trying to laugh off the hearings by
ridicule, calling the committee a
"circus” and arguing that the com
mittee is on the "defensive” or "on
the spot.” The favorite argument is
to say that just a few misguided
intellectuals were "gullible” or that
they really were just gossiping with
friends of Russia and that, any
way, Russians were our allies during
the war and so on.
If the American intelligence or
counter-espionage agencies wanted
to do any spying in Russia, cer
tainly nobody would send Americans
to do the job. The task would be
assigned to Russians whose identity
would be least suspected or else to
Yugoslavs or Romanians or persons
from countries now allied with
Russia.
The Communists have a definite
program in America. The argument
that the Federal Bureau of Investi
gation has known all along about
the data furnished congressional
committees and that the Federal
Grand Jury also knew It was ex
pressed by President Truman In an
unsuccesful attempt to disparage
the work of the committees.
Cannot Speak Ite View*.
Unfortunately, the FBI cannot
speak Its views as this agency Is
a part of the Justice Department
which Is controlled by President
Truman himself. But only 24 months
ago this is what J. Edgar Hoover,
director of the FBI, told the Ameri
can Legion convention at San Fran
cisco:
"During the past five years, Amer
ican Communists have made their
deepest inroads in our national life.
In our vaunted tolerance for all
peoples, the Communists have found
our Achilles heel. The ‘divide and
conquer’ tactics did not die with
Hitler. They are being employed
with greater skill today by Ameri
can Communists with their boring
from-within strategy.
"Their propaganda, skillfully de
signed, adroitly executed, has been
projected into practically every
phase of our national life. The fact
that the Communist Party in the
United States claims some 100,000
members has lulled many American's
Into a feeling of false complacency.
I would not be concerned if we were
dealing with only 100,000 Commun
lsts. ine uommumsis rnemseives
boast that for every party member
there are 10 others ready to do the
paity's work. These include their
satellites, their fellow travelers, their
so-called progressive and phony lib
eral allies. They have maneuvered
themselves into the position where
a few Communists control the desti
nies of hundreds who are either
willing to be led or have been duped
Into obeying the dictates of others.”
Since the foregoing was spoken.
!t is believed that the party members
has been reduced from 100.000 to
80.000 but the number controlled in
directly who do not profess party
membership has undoubtedly in
creased. It certainly is wrong to try
to laugh off or ridicule any con
gressional committee which seeks to
expose those who can probably
claim they are not Communists but
who. nevertheless, do the work of
the Communist Party for the bene
fit of a foreign government. Maybe
they can t be convicted in a court
because of technicalities but they
can be exposed to public condemna
tion by congressional committies.
(Reproduction Rishts Reserved.)
f ^ DIRECT
to SOUTH AMERICA
9
(WEST COAST)
American Pilots • Douglas Pianos
PIA Courtesy and Comfort
From NEW TOPIC and WASHINGTON
HAVANA • PANAMA
|UMA • SANTIAGO!
of
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i*» **■•«£ • »ML *
This Changing World $
De Gaulle Seen Likely to Take Over
Control of France Before Year’s End
By Constantine Brown
As much as American officials de
plore the possibility that Gen.
Charles de Gaulle may become the
next Premier of France, there is
‘growing iiKen
hood that the
stormy petrel of
French politics
will take over
the government
before the end
of the year.
Despite our ef
forts to alleviate
economic condi
' tions in France,
in the hope that
improvement in
economic life of
that country
would be a stabi
lizing factor, the
Constantine Brown.
conflicts between political parties in
Prance have proved that no gov
ernment based on the Constitution
of the fourth republic can last long
enough to achieve stable results.
Every politician in Paris and the
provinces is fully aware that the
dangers to Western Europe today
are at least as great as they were
at the same time nine years ago.
Although the leaders of the various
Socialist and Republican Parties
know that the present jockeying for
power is playing into the hands of
the extremist groups, they cannot
get together even for a short time
to help the men whom President
Auriol has named to form a stable
government.
Unstable Since 1946.
The new French Constitution,
which Gen. de Ganlle has strongly
opposed, but which the Communists
have supported because they realized
that it would play into their hands,
has proved faulty. Since 1946, when
it was approved by the nation,
Prance has had no stable govern
ment capable of dealing with the
internal and external problems
which threaten the country’s posi
tion as the leader of Western Euro
pean democracies.
Even more than formerly, French
politicians are playing their own lit
tle games, disregarding the interests
of the country. Former Premiers,
such as Paul Ramadier, Robert
Schuman and Andre Marie, are not
lo be blamed for present conditions.
They are weak but patriotic French
men who are willing to do every
thing they can to prevent a political
catastrophe. But they can find no
[sustained support from the various
l political groups.
The French people are said to be
fed up with the whole situation,
which is leading them nowhere fast.
But until new elections are decreed,
there is no way to show their dis
content, except by strikes, which
further weaken the country's posi
tion, or by popular demonstrations.
Under these conditions, reports
from Paris indicate, Gen. de Gaulle
is growing in stature. He tried his
hand at governing France once,
but failed. The fault was partly
nis own, because of his total lack
of political experience and unbend
ing personality. The fault lay part
ly also with the Communists, who
managed to infiltrate into the pa
triotic underground movements
throughout the period of struggle
for liberation.
The shortsightedness of political
leaders like Leon Blum and Edouard
Herriot, who were more afraid of
Gen. de Gaulle's dictatorial aims
than of the insidious plans of the
Communists, was at the bottom of
Gen. de Gaulle's temporary eclipse
as a French political leader.
“Man on White Hors*.
The Free French leader—whom
many described as a man on a white
horse—has learned a great deal dur
ing the last two years, and his popu
larity has grown not so much be
cause he has become an experienced
baby-kisser, but because the French
people themselves have become dis
gusted with the antics of their poli
ticians.
Last year's communal elections
showed how much Gen. de Gaulle’s
star had risen among the rank and
file of Frenchmen, who would still
prefer a strong nationalist hand at
the helm to that of a Communist.
Gen. de Gaulle, they say, may lead
them into war. That is a possibility
which they fear. But the Com
munists, according to rank and file
people, will surely lead them into
complete subjection to Moscow and
to the Politburo-style secret state
police.
Of the two evils, American ob
servers in France say, the French
would prefer the risk of war sup
ported by America and Britain to
the loss of individual freedom.
Gen. de Gaulle is reported to be
ready to take over power on the
basis of a revision of the present
constitution. Some other men may
try between now and the end of
the year. But all impartial ob
servers in Paris are convinced of the
inevitability of Gen. de Gaulle be
coming France’s strong man in the
next few months.
Loophole Watched
Texas Democratic Committee Meets
, Next Week to Certify Senate Nominee
By Doris Fleeson
The eyes of Washington will be
on Texas next Monday when the
Democratic State Committee meets
to certify the party's nominee for
United States
Senator.
Final returns
from the State
election bureau
give Lyndon
Johnson, aggres
sive young Con
gressman, a 147- ;•
vote lead over
ex-Gov. Coke s:
Stevenson. The
committee’s cus
tom has been to
certify the pri
mary winner but j
there is appar
ently a loophole
Doris Fleeton.
in the Texas statute which gives it
some discretion in the matter.
And never before has the com
mittee faced so wild a primary in
which victory see-sawed from one
candidate to the other by a literal
handful of votes. Representative
Johnson's final plurality constitutes
little more than one hundredth of
one per cent of the total vote cast.
Senate Spared the Worst.
As the Senate is the judge of the
qualifications of its own members,
Senators are wondering whether
they will be asked to deal with an
extraordinary ■ and unprecedented
challenge of the new Texas Sena
tors right to sit. ■ They are spared
the worst. The Senate is narrowly
held by Republicans and is expected
again to divide closely. But the new
Texan, by whatever name, will be
a Democrat; thus his seat cannot
become a question of which party
will organize the Senate.
Washington naturally has a per
sonal interest in Representative
Johnson, who has served ably in the
House 10 years. A pillar of the
Armed Services Committee, he won
the battle of the 70 air groups, even,
according to awed ajrmen, "making
a Christian'’ out of influential Carl
Vinson of Georgia, the Navy's old
standby. Leader Rayburn assigned
Representative Johnson to the cru
cial Atomic Energy Committee;
Speaker Martin showed his goodwill
by giving Representative Johnson
priceless RejJublican time on the last
day of the special session to get
some last-minute propaganda into
the Record.
The Capital, knowing that real
power on the hill is exercised behind
the closed doors of committee rooms,
perceives also that the stakes in any
current Democratic senatorial race
are unusually large.
The present Just happens to be
one of those turning points on the
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Senate Democratic side with the old
order certain to pass to a new with
in a few years.
Of the 15 senior, and therefore
most powerful Democrats, 10 are
more than 70 years old, three are
over 60 and two are in their 50s. Of
the ranking Democrats on the 15
standing committees, who will be
come chairmen when the Democrats
control, eight are over 70, four are
over 60 and three are in their 60s.
Already many of the elder statemen
of the Roosevelt era are missing.
The over 70 group includes the
dean of the Senate, McKellar of
Tennessee, who is 80. It also in
cludes the senior Senator from
Texas, Mr. Connally, who is expect
ed to retire at the conclusion of his
term in ’52.
Southern Hierarchy.
This means fhat Democrats now
seated or entering the Senate this
fall will inherit the seats of the
mighty in fairly short order. The
South is particularly concerned be
cause it is largely a Southern hier
archy that is passing and must be
replaced.
Hence the burning ambition of
young "comers” in the House, espe
cially Southerners, to get over to
the Senate. One of this group,
Estes Kefauver of Tennessee, has
just beaten the Crump machine to
capture a Senate nomination: if Mr.
Crump doesn’t bolt, Mr. Kefauver is
on his way. His House colleague,
Albert Gore, has his eye on Senator
McKellar’s seat. Another in this
group is Mike Monroney of Okla
homa, co-author of the Reorganiza
tion Act, who is expected to give
"Silver Elmer” Thomas a battle in
1950. Representative Johnson, who
is 40. is naturally anxious to keep
up with the procession. As the re
sults show he has a formidable an
tagonist in former Gov. Stevenson,
at 60 a seasoned and popular poli
tician.
Time was when Texas virtually
ruled Capitol Hill with Speaker,
then Vice President Garner, with
Sam Rayburn who was the House
majority leader and became Speak
er, and with the titan, Jesse Jones,
who shared with Cordell Hull, the
laurels for being the most influential
member of the Roosevelt adminis
tration so far as Congress was con
cerned. Senator Connally was then
in his prime as a powerful con
troversialist; his colleague, the late
much loved Senator Sheppard, was
chairman of military affairs.
Mpssrs. Garner and Jones are back
in Texas, enjoying the late after
noons of their lives; retiring Senator
O Daniel departs the Potomac shore
with not a wet eye to mourn him.
LOUIE
—By Harry Hanan
I ... II 1.
•WINES*
On the Other Hand
Republicans May Be Accepting
Calculated Risk on Farm Vote
By Lowell Mellett
When Gov. Dewey debated with;
Harold Stassen in Oregon he got
the best of it, everybody agreed.
It was the turning point in the bat
tie tor the .ore
go n delegates
and for the Re
publican nomin
ation.
If Gov. Dewey
debated with
Mr. Stassen in
Albany before
the latter pub
licly attacked
the administra
tion’s farm pol
icy, Mr. Dewey
got the worst of
it. Mr. Stassen s
statement, made
after a long con
Lowell Mellett.
ference at the Governor s mansion,
was not calculated to help the can
didate with the farmers.
The net effect of the statement
was that the administration is re
sponsible for high prices of farm
products. To which the farmers
just naturally respond, what’s wrong
with high prices? High prices, that
is, for the things they raise, not
the things they buy.
Issue Built Up.
This farm price issue has been
building up for some time and has
been regarded by some Republican
campaign strategists as the best
possible offset to the Truman pres
sure, before, during and since the
special session, for general author
ity to control prices. Since the
prices that hurt most are food
prices, the effort is being made to
center attention on that phase of
the cost of living and divert atten
tion from manufactured articles.
Most of this propaganda has been
left to writers and speakers not
officially connected with the party.
It is a little too delicate for candi
dates and recognized campaigners
to handle.
It has ior its Dase tne govern
ment policy, to which both parties
have subscribed, of supporting farm
prices in order to encourage pro
duction, on the one hand, and en
able the farmer to hold his own
in the economic struggle, on the
other. However, for the benefit of
city folks who pay the prices, the
propagandists have been busy pro
moting the notion that the admin
istration has given excessive support.
President Truman felt called upon a
few days ago to knock down reports j
that i300.000.000 a year was going:
into the support program, whereas i
lie said, that figure covered seven
or eight years.
Whatever the merits of the issue.
Lhe farmers see it only one way.!
Prices are not too high at the farm
level, they think, no matter what
prices may be in the grocery stores.
And they're ready to fight anybody
who says differently.
Mr. Stassen, living as he does in
a farm State, understands this.
Gov. Dewey, with a farm of his
own, does also. Why they are will- j
ing to risk a fight then on the farm
front is hard to explain.
It could be that feeling completely
confident of the farm vote, aware;
of its steady trend back into the;
Republican fold since the middle,
of the New Deal era, they believe'
that nothing said or done now can
change the returns from the rural:
regions. There may be enough truth
in this to justify their taking the
chance in the expectation of win-j
*ing votes in the industrial centers
and among white-collar workers
everywhere.
The administration, of course, has
seized the issue and intends to
make the most of it. It Is grateful
to Harold Stassen. However, the
task of winning the farmers away
from the party they have long
favored won’t be easy. The Demo
crats lack the facilities, enjoyed by
the Republicans, for reaching them.
Most farm publications are Repub
lican in their politics. The one of
largest circulation, for example, Is j
owned by Joe Pew, Pennsylvania oil
man and Republican financial angel, j
Perhaps to its surprise, the ad- j
ADVERTISEMENT.
oiu.% jars
Vtktw
m*M Dill s Best Pipe Tokmem
mmUm’t %M m mmek!"
Tool agree that Dux’s Ban win* the
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jive too ofl the Htvorful mMmess M
its choice Barievs. It boras cooler.
Smokes cleaner. Aad that handy peuck
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t
I
ministration has been given a little
lilt by the traditionally conservative
American Farm Bureau, largest and
most effective ol all farmers’ or
ganizations. In a statement follow
ing Mr. Stassen’s, the bureau blamed
the Republican Congress for the
most criticized feature of the sup
port program. Whether it will go
further in Mr. Truman's defense
remains to be seen. It could do a
lot by turning out its members to
meet him at all those “whistle stops”
he plans to visit during the cam
paign. _
speedy hemche relief
: relief)}
B Wkat a lay it i> ta
at* Cepudine for
simple haadacka and
B aaural|ia. It not
B only relievos tka
W pain, but also allays
W tka resulting apsat
nerves. Acts' quick
> because If* liquid. Try
Capudine, Use only aa
I directed.
THANKS TQ
CAPUDINE
McLemore— !
Dines on Peacock,
Prefers Hot Dogs
By Henry McLemore
SRINAGAR, Kashmir.—If your
local dime store doesn’t have any
- /
of those glass sirup pitchers with
plastic tops, I know where you can
get, one. xugni
here in the Vale
of Kashmir, near
Tibet and the
top of the world.
I saw one to
day in the fin
est antique shop
in Srinagar, and
it held the place
of honor in the
display case,‘sur
rounded by ob
jects of art that
were museum
pieces. It rest
ed on black vel
vet. and was the
Henry McLemorc.
first thing the proprietor showed
me. The price: nearly $6, making
it much more expensive than many
of the old vases and silver boxes
set with semiprecious stones.
If the feelings of the scores of
Kashmirian folks we have talked
to here in Srinagar is any criterion,
Kashmir would like to leave India
and join Pakistan. The Maharajah
is a Hindu, but 90 per cfent of the
population is Moslem, and the peo
ple are hoping that the U. N. will
let them vote to determine which
flag they’ll fly. There is a strong
pro-Pakistan underground move
ment in Srinagar, despite the fact
that Sheik Abdullah, the Prime
Minister, keeps the jail filled with
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those even suspected of having lean
ings toward Pakistan.
Sheik, incidentally, is pronounced
"shake," as in chocolate malted
milk.
Kashmir is no place for those who
have to have their beef or pork. The
Moslems won't touch pork, as you
know, and the Hindus revere the
cow. Even canned goods are in
spected at the border to see that
nothing like pork and beans, or beef
broth, comes into the country. Rice,
fish and game make up the menu,
and the Kashmirian cooks, despite
the fact that they work with the
most primitive homemade charcoal
braziers and ovens, turn out mag
nificent meals. Our houseboat cook,
a gnarled old man who must be in
his middle 70s, barbecues chicken
and squab and roasts a duck as per
fectly as any cook in the States ever
did.
Cleanliness No Virtue.
Cleanliness is not considered one
of the virtues in Srinagar. A bath
more than once or twice a year is
considered a foolish ritual. To pro*
vent the children from staying too
clean by swimming in the river,
canals and lakes, parents daub them
with a spot of dye. and inspect them
each evening to see if the dye is still
there. If it isn’t, the kids are given
the Kashmirian equivalent of the
back-of-the-woodshed treatment.
The exceptions are the men and
women who own and operate the
houseboats. Foreigners have taught
them the value of cleanliness, and
they scrub themselves at every op
portunity.
Next time you go hunting, try to
bag yourself a peacock. They make
mighty fine eating, especially the
ones about the size of a 12 to 14
pound turkey. All dark meat, but
sweet and tender.
Listen to who's talking about eat
ing peacocks! Old side meat and
grits McLemore. Come to think of
it, I'd swap half a peacock right now
for a double hamburger or a couple
of hot dogs.
(Distributed by McNeueht Syndicate. lne.»
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