Daily Sitka Sentinel And The Arrowhead Press

Truman fires first blast at GOP in coming campaign

Accuses GOP of domination by big business

MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. (AP) Harry S. Truman fired the first salvo of a three-day Michigan Democratic conference yesterday by accusing the Republican administration of falling "100 per cent under the domination of big business."

Truman, scheduled for a speech here tonight, told a news conference this domination "started in Michigan."

The former president said he did not want to discuss personalities, and he did not mention by name secretary of defense Wilson, former General Motors president, and other Michigan businessmen in the Eisenhower administration.

Commenting on Democratic chances in 1956, Truman said it was not inevitable Republicans would win if President Eisenhower is nominated.

"I think the man who will win the election is the one who has the best platform."

The former president reaffirmed his support of Adlai Stevenson and at the same time made it clear he himself would not be a candidate.

Truman denied that he was embarking on another "give-'em-hell" campaign.

"I never gave anybody hell," he said. "I tell the truth and if they think that's hell, that's too bad."

Vice president Nixon said in New York last night:

"There is no issue we would like better for 1956 than to let the American people choose between the Truman record on domestic and foreign policies and the Eisenhower record."

Meanwhile in Washington Republican national chairman Leonard W. Hall declared in a statement that Truman's current speech making "sounded like a bitter, frustrated man."

Hall criticized both Truman and Democratic national chairman Paul Butler for what he called their "intemperate remarks" at a meeting of the Indiana Democratic Editorial Assn. Saturday in French Lick Ind.

"With no real issue to take to the people, it's obvious they are going to rely on smears and personal attacks on President Eisenhower and Vice president Nixon," Hall said.