New Political Patterns Emerge In Congress

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27592, 24 February 1955, Page 13

New Political Patterns Emerge In Congress

[Specially Written for the N.Z.P.A. by FRANK OLIVER]

(Rec. 11 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Feb. 23.

Some curious political patterns are beginning to emerge now that Congress has settled down to consideration of its legislative programme.

Where liberal measures are concerned, the voting pattern that emerges in the House of Representatives (where, incidentally all money bills must be introduced) shows that the liberal Democrats, a majority of their party, are voting with liberal Republicans, a minority of their party, for such measures, while ranged against them in a solid phalanx are the uncompromising Tories of both parties. The situation for years has been that membership of both parties has stretched clear from the Right to the Left with the Republicans containing the majority of the Rightists and the Democrats the majority of the liberals; and now that President Eisenhower is asking for a legislative programme attuned much closer to Democratic thought, the House is splitting according to political thought regardless of party labels. The President’s programme is now completely out of favour with the Right-wing majority of his party, yet even the diehards know they cannot win in 1956 without his prestige and popularity. There is simply no living Republican of like stature. The Rightwing Republicans are trying to push him into more conservative fields while the President must now know that the things he believes in and (wants cannot be voted without Democratic support. No such complex political pattern

has existed in Washington within memory and its effects on the 1956 elections may be as considerable as they are unpredictable. Enormous pressure is being brought by party chiefs and organisers upon Mr Eisenhower to run again. He is the only Republican in sight who they think can lead them to victory, and the majority who are against his policies apparently feel that with a sufficient majority in Congress they can curb and control them as they did during the President’s first two years. Whether Mr Eisenhower wants to run again is not known. If he has strong objections to a second term, then all he has to do is say so; but unless his wishes in that direction are very definite, it will be hard to refuse to run. The pressure will be powerful and the President has a strong sense of public duty, however much he may wish to retire to his Gettysburg farm and watch the crops grow and play some golf. It would be a foolish plunger who today was willing to bet he will not run for a second term. Far East Policies

In another direction it is a safe bet that Mr Dulles and Sir Anthony Eden will have much to say to each other in Bangkok, for Washington has begun to worry seriously about developments in Britain over the Formosa crisis. Mr Attlee’s firm pronouncements about that island have caused some dismay, because reports reaching here indicate that a General Election, if held today, could as easily go Mr Attlee’s way as Sir Winston Churchill’s. It is recognised that if Mr Attlee returns to Downing street, it could be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to co-ordinr.te American and British

Far Easterh policies, for whereas the present Government in London seems ready (if not without slight apprehension) to let America take the lead there, Mr Attlee would seek closer ties with Peking and he would be diametrically opposed to the American position vis a vis Marshal Chiang Kai-shek. Fairly close working ties between London and Washington are clearly essential from every point of view and a forced reconciliation of Mr Dulles’s and Mr Attlee’s Far East policies might create serious American difficulties on Formosa itself. If the British elections are held in the next few months, Washington will follow them with some anxiety and with fervent, if unspoken, hopes for a Conservative victory. Worries Over France What attention political observers here have left over after viewing both the Far East and London with some anxiety, is spared for France and the unratified treaties with West Germany. Fear exists that'France is in for another series of governments by multi party alliance&that result in frustration and “do<3Aothingness.” Mr Mendes-France was never very popular here and at limes highly unpopular, but he begins to look better and better in retrospect as far as Washington is concerned. At least, say some' observers, he recognised the truth of the old maxim that the first duty of any government, good or bad. is to govern.