Show Whirligig sir i i Europe Fears Taft Taff Election By Ray Tucker WASHINGTON The The possible possible possible pos pos- sible election of Senator Robert Robert Rob- Rob ert A A. Taft as IS president and andis andI is I 1 American reI rea re re- I a arm arming r m i n g of Western Germ Germany Ger Ger- g 4 m many any on an ani i t exclusive basis haq ba ha- q q ir E sis are arc two of the high pros y the ti I SUI sure ear a ar r g u uJ uin u- u J in men c cuts n t s with t. t which United j r t I States Stales S tal e s d delegates dele li JU gates ales wrested Tucker the L Lis Lisbon i s h o 0 n agreement for a European defense defense de de- community t fro from r o m the squabbling British French and ami Germans Rarely have ha domestic domes domes- tic political considerations exerted exerted exerted ex ex- such an influence on an international conference Although these factors were not voiced at formal meetings meetings meetings meet meet- ings they were advanced in unofficial unofficial unofficial un un- un- un official conversations and at festivities attending the get get- together Indeed the atmosphere atmosphere atmos atmos- phere at the Portuguese capital capital capital capi capi- tal bore some resemblance to that at a national political convention con con- It was impressed on foreign foreign foreign for for- eign representatives newspaper newspaper per correspondents and technical technical tech tech- staffs that an open collapse collapse collapse col col- col- col lapse of the Russian anti-Russian alliance alliance alliance alli alli- ance would weaken the Truman Truman Truman Tru Tru- man Democrats in the forthcoming forthcoming forthcoming forth forth- coming election jeopardize General Eisenhower's chances to obtain the Republican nomination nomination nomination nomi nomi- nation and strengthen Taft raft Oppose Taft Since the Ohio Senator has assailed the general Truman- Truman Acheson Eisenhower defense concept questioning their emphasis emphasis em em- emphasis on European as against Far Eastern problems continental continental continental conti conti- interests naturally oppose oppose op op- op pose his candidacy and would dread the day that he entered the White House By comparison with President President dent Truman Secretary Dean Acheson and General Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisen Eisen- hower bower Senator Taft is looked upon by our overseas allies as asan asan asan an outright isolationist They associate him with the 1919 1921 battalion of death in inthe inthe inthe the Senate which refused to tomake tomake tomake make the United States a member member mem memo ber bel of the League of Nations From his speeches and writings writings writings writ writ- ings which foreign diplomatic agents here forward religiously religious religious- ly to their chancelleries at home they suspect that the Ohioan would be less generous generous generous gener gener- ous in his disbursement of American funds abroad Thus they have a greater interest in our 1952 election than in 1940 1944 and 1948 1918 when the G GO GOP 0 P nominees were more internationally internationally in in- minded Hoover Unpopular Two o 0 other t the h e r distinguished Americans supposedly in the Taft camp are especially unpopular unpopular unpopular un un- un- un popular in Europe these days clays They are President ex-President Herbert Hoover and General Douglas MacArthur l Their r recent e e c e en n t speeches have made unpleasant ant reading to Europe's statesmen states states- men menOn On the other hand the so- so called Atlantic Atlant c Seaboard international international international in bloc is plugging for SHAPES SHAPE'S commander It is considered politically significant that General Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisen Eisen- hower bower despite his over-all over responsibilities did not attend the Lisbon meeting for taking military inventory of Rus anti sian defense potentialities It Itis Itis Itis is believed to be he the first conference conference conference con con- ference of this kind without his presence Principal spokesmen for the United States were General Omar N N. Bradley chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and General A Alfred l I f r red e d Gruenther Ikes Ike's own chief of staff Senate House-Senate groups handling handling han han- dung foreign aid appropriations requested by Truman will demand more light on the cost and composition of the di 50 vision army blueprinted at Lis Lis- bon Frankly skepticism has been expressed already about the program w which h i c h impresses many members as a paper force that will not materialize material material- ize in the period mentioned in 1952 1952 without far greater contributions of American men and money This cynicism is especially strong within the Taft faction fac fac- tion Barring indisputable evi evi- evidence evi evidence I dence to the contrary they are arc prepared to depict the Lisbon pact as a meaningless document document document docu docu- ment born of 1952 politics rather rath rath- er than m military 1 tary needs and realities In plain words they consider it a desperate effort to save face for both the White House and SHAPE on the eve of a critical presidential elect election n. n The controversy will probably lead to the most violent and sensational floor fight of the current session |