The Amateur Politician

In many ways President Ramon Magsaysay's rise in politics resembles Dwight Eisenhower's. A smiling soldier with immense popularity, a simple, homey manner, a record of incorruptibility, and little knowledge of practical politics, he had the presidential nomination thrust upon him in 1953 by the Nacionalista Party in its eagerness to throw out the entrenched Liberals.

He was elected President in a landslide by the biggest number of voters in his nation's history. At first he seemed reluctant to assert the authority that is his. Nationalist right-wingers in the Senate, who had climbed back to power on his coattails, openly and often contemptuously opposed him and his administration. Four weeks ago, Magsaysay, at last, came to grips with his arch-opponent in his own party, Senator Claro Recto, 65, a skillful lawyer, neutralist, and determined anti-American, who had done his caustic best to snipe at Magsaysay's policy of friendship for the U.S.

Joining Issue. Magsaysay, forced to make a stand, said flatly that he did not want Recto on the party's ticket in the November election (TIME, Aug 8). Recto declared open war and began firing hotter and hotter "open letters" at the President's palace. The issue was joined. Last week, as the Nationalist Party held its nominating convention in Manila, the time had come for a test of strength between the two men.

It proved to be Magsaysay all the way. Fortnight ago, seeing how things were going, sly Claro Recto began a retreat. He offered not to run for re-election to the Senate if Magsaysay would nominate only "tried and true" Nationalists who were party members at least six months before the 1953 nominating convention. This would disqualify all the eager amateurs in the Magsaysay-for-President movement. It would also disqualify Democrats, who had joined in supporting Magsaysay for President after first trying to run Carlos P. Romulo. Magsaysay scornfully refused to bargain with Recto, or to disinherit his most enthusiastic supporters.

At week's end a tumultuous convention in the government-owned Manila Hotel gave complete power to a Magsaysay-controlled executive committee to select a nine-man senatorial slate from the 55 candidates nominated on the floor. Then the 900 Nationalist delegates listened passively to a passionate speech by old Party Leader Jose P. Laurel, affirming his loyalty to Magsaysay but nominating his old friend Recto for a place on the party ticket. But Recto had little expectation that the executive committee would have him. He would run for the Senate anyway, possibly as an independent, he announced but he did not sound optimistic. Even Recto could see that the Nationalist Party now belonged to Magsaysay, that simple man who did not seem to know much about politics.

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