EISENHOWER’S COMMENT

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27499, 5 November 1954, Page 13

EISENHOWER’S COMMENT

“Astonished And Surprised”

(K.Z. Press Association—Copyright) WASHINGTON, Nov. 3. President Eisenhower said today in the wake of a Republican reversal in the Congre.»sional elections, that he planned to invite Democrat leaders to confer with him on basic Administration legislative proposals. Mr Eisenhower made the statement to a press conference at which he added that he was absolutely astonished and surprised by some of the voting results. He said he preferred to wait for final results before undertaking a detailed analysis of the election. But Mr-Eisenhower said he did not think that the election results amounted to a repudiation of his idministration. Asked whether the results of the election would have any effect on his personal plans for 1956, when the Republicans must again nominate a Presidential candidate, Mr Eisenhower said: “Not so far.” He saw no reason why his campaign techniques and statements of recent weeks should have any effect on his relations with key Democrats. Reminded that he had forecast political chaos in the event of a Democratic victory, Mr Eisenhower said that in retrospect, the word “chaos” was a bit strong. But he did not see how the nation could expect people of differing oolitical faiths to produce the same de-

gree of co-operation that would be possible under one-party control of the Government. Reminded of his forecast that a Democratic victory would lead to a political "cold war”’ between the legislative and executive branches of the Government, the President said that, as of this morning, he had no doubt that this expression also was too strong. The fortner President, Mr Truman, received the election news with a wide smile'today, and said the results "suit me very well.” But he added that the returns were not “overwhelming enough” in favour ofthe Democrats. Mr Truman was asked if he thought the Democratic trend in the election expressed more than casual dissatisfaction with the Eisenhower Administration. , “Yes,” he said, "I think it does. "You know, the Republicans do not know history. They campaigned on crime, communism, and corruption. They do not know anything—what about rum, Romanism, and rebellion.” Mr Adlai Stevenson, titular head of the Democratic Party, said the election result “was a portent of things to come” in the 1956 Presidential election. But the election, he added, “has nothing whatever to do with whether I will run again for the Presidency.”