New Men, New Views

The seats were the same, but the sitters were different. Into the Cabinet Room chair at Dwight Eisenhower's left, long occupied by Senate Republican Leader William Knowland at the President's weekly legislative conferences, popped Indiana's Charles Halleck, newly installed as House G.O.P. leader. In the chair at Ike's right, reserved in the past for Cabinet officers or other Administration aides reporting to the legislators, sat new Senate Republican Leader Everett Dirksen. New G.O.P. Senate Whip Tom Kuchel took the place where deposed House Leader Joe Martin had always sat. And before the conference had progressed very far, it was clear too that the new team had brought new attitudes.

In years past, Bill Knowland sometimes dominated the legislative conferences, making ponderous speeches on the coequality of the executive and legislative branches of Government. But last week the new leaders made constructive suggestions at a session marked by far more give and take than before. Charlie Halleck, for example, came up with a plan to invite White House aides and Cabinet officers to House Republican Policy Committee dinners. "Good," said President Eisenhower. "I think it's a fine idea."

The new look carried over to the postconference briefing session with newsmen. Where Knowland had often been barely able to hide his distaste for key parts of the Eisenhower program, the new leaders seemed downright enthusiastic. Said Charlie Halleck: "We were all impressed with the attainability of a balanced budget without sacrifice or injury to essential programs of Government. If we can hold the line on this program, it means not only will we have a good economic year but that the cost of living can be stabilized and held down." Added Everett Dirksen, signaling a new day in the relationships between President Eisenhower and congressional Republicans: "The point was made that we had a good program last year--but that we were not the best salesmen in the world and failed to get our point across."

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