REPUBLICANS: Youth Will Not Be Swerved

Youth will be served, the saying goes, and indeed it was at the Young Republican National Federation convention in Washington last week. Both the President and Vice President of the U.S. hustled across town to address the conventioneers.

For their part, the 1,500 Young Republicans seemed—at first—to prove the pollsters’ finding that Dwight Eisenhower is even more popular with the young ones than with old ones. As Ike looked on with moist eye, the Young Republicans adopted a resolution pledging themselves to “emulate your dedication to service and support your leadership.” And they cheered lustily when Richard Nixon rapped “Republicans who snipe and gripe about the Republican Administration.”

But when it came to hammering out its 1957 platform, the convention showed that Republican youth will not be swerved, not even by Ike and Dick. Sniping and griping aplenty, the Young (i.e., under 40) Republicans:

¶ Declared themselves “unalterably opposed” to federal aid for school construction, an Administration program that Ike himself has plugged hard.

¶ Slapped at the Administration’s freer-trade policy by calling for “an immediate review of tariff legislation to bring relief to hard-hit American industries.”

¶ Denounced “all military assistance to Communist nations,” although the Administration is giving military aid to Communist Yugoslavia.

¶ Urged Taft-Hartley Act amendments to ban the union shop and make unions subject to antitrust laws—changes that Labor Secretary James Mitchell has plainly and publicly opposed.