Campaigner at Work

Campaiger at Work

Wearing the overseas cap of Whittier American Legion Post No. 51, of which he is a member, Vice President Richard Nixon stepped before 6,000 cheering fellow Legionnaires and guests at the closing session of their 38th national convention in Los Angeles last week to make his campaign speech. He took aim, point by point, at the speech made from the same platform 24 hours earlier by Adlai Stevenson.

What of Stevenson's proposal for an early end to the draft? "I realize that it is always tempting to tell the voters there is an easy way to meet difficult problems . . . But this is no time to suggest to our friends or our possible opponents abroad that America is getting soft and tired, and is looking for an easy way out of our world responsibilities. In this critical moment of history, let us have the good sense and courage to make whatever sacrifices are necessary to carry out America's international responsibilities."

Turning to Stevenson's proposal that the U.S. should stop testing hydrogen bombs if other nations would agree, Nixon said: "I respectfully submit that for us to have followed this advice would have been not only naive but dangerous to our national security. To have taken such action would have been like telling police officers that they should discard their weapons, provided the lawbreakers would throw away their machine guns."

The Administration, said the Vice President, welcomes "healthy and constructive" debate of its foreign policy. "But," he added, "I cannot agree with those who seem to relish proclaiming that American prestige in the world is at an alltime low. I have traveled around the world two times in the past three and a half years. I have met and talked personally, not only to government leaders, but to thousands of people in all walks of life. I can tell you that there is a great well of friendship and respect for the people and the Government of the United States in every country I have visited."

Back in Washington this week, worn by his long vigil at the bedside of his dying father (see MILESTONES), Nixon was preparing to launch probably the most strenuous political campaign any Republican has ever waged. Flying in a chartered DC-6B, accompanied by his wife and a four-man staff, he will travel 14,136 miles, visit 32 states, make 50 speeches in three weeks. What he learns on this swing will do much to determine the size and shape of the Republican campaign during October and the first week in November.

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