What They Say

Politics is people, and it takes all kinds. Items:

¶ Kentucky's Alben W. Barkley, speaking to Louisville cost accountants, had a mild word of protest about the subject assigned to him. Said the ex-Veep: "Frankly, I'm unable to understand why you asked me to talk on the cost of Government. I haven't cost the Government anything in nearly two years."

¶From Huron, S. Dak., the Associated Press quoted Vice President Nixon as saying that the Eisenhower Administration has "kicked the Communists out of the Government, not by the hundreds but by the thousands." Democratic National Chairman Stephen Mitchell soon called Nixon a liar. A tape recording of Nixon's speech proved that the Vice President had actually said: "We're kicking the Communists and fellow travelers and security risks out of the Government, not by the hundreds but by the thousands." Republican National Chairman Leonard Hall demanded that Mitchell either apologize or remove his signature from a fair-play campaign pledge signed by both national chairmen.

¶New York's New Dealing Representative Emanuel Celler cited the fact that he would become chairman of the House Judiciary Committee as an argument for electing a Democratic Congress this fall. Accusing Defense Secretary Charles Wilson of favoritism in awarding defense contracts, Celler cried: "I promise you, Wilson, that when I become chairman of the Judiciary Committee, I shall investigate you, General Motors, General Electric and Westinghouse."

¶In West Virginia, where the coal industry is in a slump, Democratic Senator Matthew Neely is not worried about offending Eisenhower admirers. Neely tells his campaign audiences, "In 32 years in Washington, I've never seen a more useless President than Dwight D. Eisenhower . . . He's the poorest President the U.S. ever had."