Just the Man

California's Governor Earl Warren passed his magic wand over his political hat last week, and gave a lengthy spiel about what he would produce. But he surprised no one when he pulled out Joe Knowland's boy and named him U.S. Senator to succeed the late Hiram Johnson.

At 37, Major William Fife Knowland, A.U.S.,will be America's youngest Senator. Burly Earl Warren explained that Major Knowland, now with an Army historical section in Paris, precisely fitted the spiel he had made about the kind of man California's new Senator should be.

The sharp-nosed Major was young, had been a G.I. (drafted in 1942), had served six years in the state legislature (where he blocked a pardon for Tom Mooney in 1937), was married, had three children, had been an A-1-A joiner and charity-drive organizer. Besides, the Major was a good Republican, had served on the state central committee, finally becoming the state's national committeeman and chairman of the G.O.P. national executive committee. In short, said Warren, he had screened all the candidates and concluded the Major was just the man.

Most Californians smiled. Ever since the Major's father, Publisher Joseph Russell Knowland (Oakland Tribune), began backing Earl Warren more than a decade ago, it had been understood that if Earl became Governor, Joe's boy (who was assistant publisher) would get the next Senate vacancy.

While Republicans complained that they had been given a slow horse for a fast race, Democrats prepared to fight Bill Knowland next year. Their favored candidate was another newspaperman: New Dealer Manchester Boddy, dapper 54-year-old camellia king and publisher of Los Angeles' fast-stepping, politically potent Daily News.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.