Battle for New York

For eleven days, leaders of the Democratic Party increased the pressure on New York's Mayor Robert F. Wagner. Adlai Stevenson, Averell Harriman, Herbert Lehman--singly and collectively--begged Wagner to accept the nomination for the U.S. Senate seat that will be left vacant by Lehman's retirement. Stevenson needed him: on Bob Wagner's coattails, there was a chance that Adlai might win New York's 45 electoral votes. Last week Wagner finally announced his "considered" decision to run.

Yearn From Childhood. Since childhood Bob Wagner, now 46, has yearned for the Senate seat that was held 22 years by his famed father, the New Deal stalwart for whom the Wagner Labor Relations Act was named. But Young Bob was plainly reluctant to run this year. The obvious time would have been against Republican Irving Ives in 1958--when he would not be bucking a ticket headed by Dwight Eisenhower. Moreover, for a family man there was the matter of personal sacrifice. As mayor, Wagner gets $40,000 a year in salary, $25,000 a year tax-free for expenses, the rent-free use of the 15-room Gracie Mansion, plus-five servants, a city car and chauffeur. The Senate job would bring him less than half of that: $22,500 a year plus small stipends to help maintain an office staff in Washington and a residence in New York.

There were weightier considerations, however, and eventually they won out. Wagner, immensely gregarious, has wide appeal in polyglot New York (a Catholic of German-Irish extraction, he married a Quaker girl, Susan Edwards, in 1942). If, as the Democrats' only proved vote-getter, he turned down the party now--when its need is so great--he would run the risk that its affronted leaders would deny him the nomination in 1958. On the other hand, if he lost this year, he could return to his mayor's job and still be assured another try at the Senate. With his father's good name and the name he has made for himself as New York's mayor, Wagner is expected to make a formidable opponent for any nominee the Republicans may put up.

Rumors from a Democrat. For the Republicans, the problem was to find a candidate as well known in the state as Bob Wagner. Former Governor Thomas E. Dewey, U.S. Attorney General Herbert Brownell Jr. and Republican National Chairman Leonard Hall have so far said no. That left State Attorney General Jacob K. Javits, four times a New York Congressman and the only Republican to win statewide office in '54. Jack Javits was willing and eager, but there were some counts against him. Some state G.O.P. leaders felt that his congressional record had been too "liberal." Moreover, there was the fact that if Javits went to the Senate, Governor Harriman would replace him with a Democrat. But on the whole, his chances seemed good.

Then, late in August, came a scud of rumors linking Javits with Communist-front organizations ten years ago. A prime source of the rumors: Jay Sourwine, former counsel of the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee when it was headed by Pat McCarran and now a candidate for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senator in Nevada. Charged Democrat Sour-wine: "The Justice Department has evidence showing Javits to have been the protege of important Communists, who helped push him up the political ladder." The least of Sourwine's implications: if Republican Javits were nominated he could be thoroughly smeared.

Javits flatly denied the charges of Communist associations and denounced the campaign against him as "vicious." He asked for and got permission to appear before the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee to rebut the rumors. He will get plenty of support. All last week prominent New York Republicans were flocking to his defense. Said Oswald D. Heck, speaker of the state assembly and close political associate of Tom Dewey: "The statements circulated about [Javits] are ridiculous. I consider him to be one of the best public servants [and] the strongest candidate for the U.S. Senate."

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