Independence Of Senator Morse

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26870, 24 October 1952, Page 8

Independence Of Senator Morse

In calculating the advantages and risks of not offending Senator McCarthy and others of his school, the strategists of the Republican Presidential campaign must have set off against the numbers of supporters they might win the quality of those they might offend. Under the heading, “An Unhappy Day”, the “ New York Times ” recently commented on General Eisenhower’s visit to Wisconsin, Senator McCarthy’s State. The article concluded: “ We have deeply regretted “that General Eisenhower’s under- “ standable dread of the splinter “party system has led him to the “ lengths of endorsing Messrs “ McCarthy, Revercomb, and Jenner. “ He owes them nothing. He owes “much to those who fought, at the “ Chicago convention, to win him “ his nomination in the face of “ precisely such opposition as these “ men represent In the event, there has been a splintering of the Republican Party with the announcement by Senator Wayne Morse, a progressive man, of Oregon, that he no longer supports General Eisenhower. Senator Morse is one of those to whom, as the “New “ York Times ” said, General Eisenhower owes much. In a tight cam-: paign his defection may be crucial.: Possibly it will not greatly affect

the result; but it must be a heavy personal blow to General Eisenhower, who has much more in common with the Morses than with the McCarthies.

American opinion is that General Eisenhower still has a lead in popularity over the Democratic candidate, Mr Stevenson. This does not mean that anyone is ready to predict that he will win. The Democrats are expected to make up a great deal of ground in the last fortnight of the campaign; and there seems little doubt that President Truman’s tour has eaten into General Eisenhower’s popularity. The President has played a much larger part in the campaign than was expected, possibly larger than was intended, because he has overshadowed the candidate of his party; and this year there is no disposition to disregard the advice, “ Don’t sell Harry short ”, All that can be said so far is that General Eisenhower appears to have succeeded in encouraging Taft Republicans (who have the party funds) without disillusioning General Eisenhower’s original supporters too much. It was generally thought four years ago that if the election had been held in September or even half-way through October Mr Dewey would have won. However that may be, the Republicans now can take little comfort from the belief that General Eisenhower would have won last month. Even after Senator McCarthy’s triumph in Wisconsin, the Republicans cannot be sure that General Eisenhower will bring out the votes on the only day that counts—November 4—and the revolt of Senator Morse must increase their doubts and worries.