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Show BEHIND THE NEWS Truman Only Possible '48 Democratic Nominee opinion, msy antagonize all factions fac-tions of organized labor, which is estimated to have a total membership of 15,000,000. Tha A F L-C I O condemnation of this strategy strengthens their suspicion that Mr. Truman may have thrown away the votes of .millions of worklngmen and their families who swore by FDR through four campaigns. In warning of this danger, they note that the GOP took over and occupied the White House and congress for 16 years after President Cleveland called out the troops to break the Pullman Pull-man strike. And they suspect perhaps correctly, that John L. Lewis would gladly swap a defeat de-feat In the current controversy for a grave disruption of the Democratic party. The veterans of World Wars I and II constitute another powerful pow-erful group which has shown some resentment of the White House policies. Despite the unprecedented grants which they enjoy under the Q. L bill of rights and other legislation, they have condemned the handling of the housing program, pro-gram, delaya in payments to Job trainees and college students and other administrative actions. Democratic strategists also recognize that the colored vote deserted them in the last election, elec-tion, and they doubt whether it can be won back within the next two years. Now that southern members comprise a majority of the Democratic Dem-ocratic members of congress 11 out of 188 they fear that the Negro will trail along with the GOP until another FDR comes along. ' The seating of Bilbo by the Democrat in collaboration with a few Republicans, or his unseating un-seating by the Republican majority, ma-jority, they realize, will probably alienate this powerful bloc for a generation. By RAT TUCKER The Democrats are scrambling down a blind political alley when they discuss such men as General Gen-eral "Ike" Elsenhower and Supreme Su-preme Court Justices Vinson and Douglas as possible substitute candidates for Harry S. Truman In 1948. It is highly doubtful if any of the three would accept the nomination under any circumstances, cir-cumstances, and certainly not In a year when prospects seem so dim. The fact la that no worthwhile worth-while Democratic politician has Indulged In this kind of talk. The Elsenhower boomlet has been started by a few minor officeholders of-ficeholders afraid of loaing their Jobs through a turnover, and hoping to stay on the pay roll by running a military hero on the Democratic ticket Nor do they take cognizance of the fact that the Elsenhower family has been traditionally Republican. The Vlnson-Douglas lightning rod has been holated by disgruntled disgrun-tled new dealers and personal enemies of the president largely by friends of former cabinet members Harold . L. Ickes and Henry A. Wallace. It Is hard to tell whether they keep mention- r Ing these rivals merely to plague the man in the White House or whether they are serious. It doesn't make much difference, differ-ence, anyway, for neither Mr. Ickes nor Mr. Wallace will be a delegate to the 1948 convention. If they get In at all. they will sit in the section reserved for columnists and magazine editors, not on the floor or In the "smoke-filled "smoke-filled back rooms" where presidential presi-dential candidates sre nominated. nomi-nated. As matters now stand, the Influential In-fluential politlcoa expect to renominate re-nominate Mr Truman. Inasmuch Inas-much as he long ago proclaimed himself aa F D R's heir, the Democrats Dem-ocrats would be repudiating their four-term leader's record if they rejected the man from Missouri. From a more practical standpoint stand-point they will be all the more inclined to rename Mr. Truman if It appears that they are headed head-ed for defeat lu any event There would not be much point in spoiling another man's career or the party's future chances by sending in a fresh, young substitute substi-tute when the game is lost even before he reports to the referee. It Is not President Truman's fate or fortunes, however, which give deepest concern to Democratic Demo-cratic partisans, the vast army of jobholders and conscientious Jeffersonians. What worries them Is the prospect that his postelection policies may alienate alien-ate so many voting elements that the party will face a long exile from the flesh pots. His use of legal machinery against John L. Lewis, in their |
