Man to Watch

POLTICAL NOTES

In Broadway's newest hit, State of the Union (see THEATER), a liberal airplane manufacturer plans a speech-making tour which he hopes will get him the Republican nomination for President. Before he leaves he gets some sage advice from a seasoned political boss: "Stay out of Minneapolis. That's Stassen territory."

How important it will be for all GOPolitical hopefuls to reckon with Harold Stassen became obvious last week when the ex-Minnesota Governor shed his Navy captain's stripes and became plain Citizen Stassen.

In St. Paul, Admiral William F. ("Bull") Halsey, whose flag secretary Stassen had been, described him to a homecoming crowd: "A great naval officer, a great Governor, fit for any job you want to give him." Archconservative columnist Frank R. Kent wrote: "If there is a better Republican available no one has pointed him out." Even Columnist Mark Sullivan, who usually looks with distrust on men with advanced views like Harold Stassen's, praised his "boldness."

Citizen Stassen did a little politicking on his own. In rapid-fire interviews he: 1) praised General MacArthur's occupation policy; 2) came out for universal military training; 3) said he would not support isolationist G.O.P. Senator Henrik Shipstead for re-election next year; 4) hoped he could liberalize the G.O.P. Then he retired to catch up on his reading, before beginning a speech-making tour of his own.

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