The Week

Mr. Nixon has drawn the curtain on a cornucopia bountiful beyond the dreams of avarice. Out of it pour forth cars, television sets and leisure time, in endless profusion; by contrast with it, the vision of Adlai Stevenson is that of an ascetic. In the “not too distant future,” said Mr. Nixon, we can expect a four-day week—provided, of course, we vote for Eisenhower. Walter Reuther, always there with the paper clips and the certified public accountant, immediately asked that the dream be reduced to paper. He challenged Nixon and Republican leaders to commit themselves to legislation specifying a four-day week for federal employees. Barring that, he told the press and cued the Democrats, Nixon’s speech must be written off as “merely an example of political expedience.” For his part, Mr. Reuther added, he plans to go to bat for the four-day week when auto contracts come up for renewal in 1958. Whoever is President.

Altogether, it was a bad day for Estes Kefauver. Old Keef has always had his troubles, but he never bargained on hell freezing over, or the cow jumping over the moon… On a single day last week, the Senator a) told a crowd in Minnesota how glad he was to be back in Nebraska, b) effusively thanked the elders of a hamlet world-famous for its graniteware for the “beautiful marble” gift they had made him, c) accused the Republicans of stacking the National Labor Relations Board with “pro-labor” men (“You mean anti-labor, don’t you Senator?” “I said Labor Relations Board,” the Senator nodded), d) stressed the dissimilarity between Eisenhower and Diogenes—who “spent his whole life in search of an honest ladder.” Heaven only knows what would come out of an attempt by old Keef to take the Vice-Presidential oath of office! It might be worth finding out.

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Richard Nixon

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Presidential Election

Mr. Nixon has drawn the curtain on a cornucopia bountiful beyond the dreams of avarice. Out of it pour forth cars, television sets and leisure time, in endless profusion; by contrast with it, the vision of Adlai Stevenson is that of an ascetic. In the “not too distant future,” said Mr. Nixon, we can expect a four-day week—provided, of course, we vote for Eisenhower. Walter Reuther, always there with the paper clips and the certified public accountant, immediately asked that the dream be reduced to paper. He challenged Nixon and Republican leaders to commit themselves to legislation specifying a four-day week for federal employees. Barring that, he told the press and cued the Democrats, Nixon’s speech must be written off as “merely an example of political expedience.” For his part, Mr. Reuther added, he plans to go to bat for the four-day week when auto contracts come up for renewal in 1958. Whoever is President.

Altogether, it was a bad day for Estes Kefauver. Old Keef has always had his troubles, but he never bargained on hell freezing over, or the cow jumping over the moon… On a single day last week, the Senator a) told a crowd in Minnesota how glad he was to be back in Nebraska, b) effusively thanked the elders of a hamlet world-famous for its graniteware for the “beautiful marble” gift they had made him, c) accused the Republicans of stacking the National Labor Relations Board with “pro-labor” men (“You mean anti-labor, don’t you Senator?” “I said Labor Relations Board,” the Senator nodded), d) stressed the dissimilarity between Eisenhower and Diogenes—who “spent his whole life in search of an honest ladder.” Heaven only knows what would come out of an attempt by old Keef to take the Vice-Presidential oath of office! It might be worth finding out.