Show Political Pros Pros' Will Oppose Stassen Governor Former F o Minnesota Is Playing Lone W Wolf oU Role By BAUKHAGE AGE News NeIls Analyst an and Commentator This is th the third of 0 a series on th the men mm most talked about aboul a as candidates for forI I f the Re Republican presidential nJal nomination WASHINGTON When When the bakers were down in Washington Washing Washing- ton sweating out a grain conservation program for their industry industry industry in in- my friend from Minnesota Harry V. W. who is what the personal column calls a frequent visitor in the capital gave a little luncheon for his colleagues and some press and radio men We had finished eating and were gathered around to listen to the bakers bakers bakers' bak bak- ers ers' troubles when suddenly the door opened and pounds of blond smiling smil smi- ing political potentiality burst upon us Our host shouted a happy Hello then turned and announced announced an an- Gentlemen the next President of the United States I daresay most Minnesota Republicans Republicans Republicans will say aye to that What the rest of the country says is awaited with interest by the candi candi- date I suppose I have had 50 people ask me about Harold Stassen Why hasn't Stassen a chance they query Most observers seem to agree that if it he has a chance its it's a pretty slim one to date The reason is always al ways the same t The professional i politicians dont don't want him 4 Not because hes he's a political S unknown He HeS S could hardly be beS S SS called that thal Sure SureSt St he be took the job of 4 S county chairman at the age of 21 5 S 5 He was elected governor of Minnesota Min Mm- t three h r e e Baukhage times could have been senator from that state had he wanted the job In his bis case its it's not so much that hes he's a newcomer as it is the way he came up That way is characteristic of his whole campaign and two words describe it Lone wolf The situation favored Stassen when he forced his way Into the gubernatorial race in 1938 Minnesota Min lIn was in a bad way There was vandalism and corruption and the Labor Farmer-Labor party Which had held a sUfi still grip on the state was disintegrating through its own weakness and I graft Stassen entered the race against as the wishes of the Republican Republican Republican Re Re- publican Old Guard but he be eventually forced them to help belp him to some degree It was largely his own efforts however however however how how- ever that elected him In other words he butted into the governorship according to old guard critics Others say he did it merely as a step to the presidency and that it was part of his overweening overweening over over- ambition the ambition the same thing they say about Governor Dewey of New York But the old guard fears Stassen's type of ot ambition more than Deweys Dewey's They fear it because I they feel fee that should Stassen be be- I GI come president he might build up upa a strong personal following and thus get a stranglehold on the Republican lican party Conventional candidates dont don't commit themselves too heavily His supporters claim that Stassen is a the of a little to the left But it is not too much his liber liber- HAROLD STASSEN Does he be have a chance chalIce to which the politicians object I doubt if any practical politician expects us to turn back the clock But in his highly unorthodox campaigning cam cam- Stassen has violated two rules One by announcing himself lf early cary in the present campaign Today Tolay he is the only official candidate can can- for the presidential nomi nomi- nation Two he be has made and he repeats repeats repeats re re- re- re peats sharp criticism of the Republican Republican Re Re- publican program As Roscoe Drummond of the Christian Science Monitor puts It If they pick him to ride the elephant elephant ele ele- I they'll have to get a a. a new I elephant Certainly Stassen has I hinted this was necessary when he said the Republican program must be more constructive more dy He doesn't consult with anybody anybody anybody any any- body else when he announces how to tomake tomake tomake make it so That's part of the lonewolf lonewolf lonewolf lone- lone t wolf complex He comes up from the soil with a farmer dirt-farmer father faUler He worked his way through college He has a good military record as deputy chief of staff stall to Admiral Halsey He Is I younger than Dewey Stassen is 59 39 I and taller than Taft Taft Taft-a a sandy sandy- haired spoken slow-spoken and deliberate six I I |