The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-06-09

aisles were crowded with delegates nov ing to their seats, but the hall was only about half full. Chairman Hilles finally got in and had a short conference with former Secretary Stimson and Nicholas Murray Butler of the New York delega- tion Chairman Harding also arrived and the platform began to fill
 At Il 20 o'clock the band began the Star Spangled Banner" The crowd rose and there was scattered handclap- ping. Yesterday this was the signal that the convention was about to be called to order.
 The delegates began to get seated and police began to clear the aisles.
 CALLED AT 11:22
 It was just :22 when Chairman Hard ing brought down the gavel.
 His call for order brought almost im- mediate response and the aisles were ordered cleared.
 Chairman Harding asked the conven- ton to rise while Monsignor Francis G. Kelly read a prayer. The convention stood in silence as he read the invoca- ton.
 Chairman Harding called for the report of the credentials committee. Senator Shoot, the chairman, responded amid cheers. The report recommending tho seating of 9S7 delegates was read by the senator with a list of the decisions in contested cases It excluded two dele gates from the District of Columbia, ad- mitted two each from Alaska and Hawaii. The reading of the report was lengthy affair, but the convention was able to hear him and paid attention. At it's close Senator Shoot moved the adoption of the report There was no objection. A rolling wave of ayes put it through. William S. Hahn of Ohio made the report of the committee on permanent organization, recommending the tenn porary organization be made perma- nent Representative Bennett Of New York took the gavel and put the ques- tion and it was carried.
 HARDING IS PRESENTED
 Mir Bennett then presented Senator Harding as permanent chairman There was quite a demonstration and when he tried to gave1 it down the crowd cheered a little louder.
 Repeated whacks of the gavel only brought more of demonstration The delegates rose and the cheers rolled louder. It was the longest sustained demonstration of the convention so far. Finally the crowd quieted and MT. Harding thanked the convention for its approval. He said:
 Ladies and gentlemen of the con vention I am sure the chairman is very grateful to you for your mani festations of approval, and take this opportunity of thanking the commit tee on permanent organization for it's recommendations and of thanking the delegates in this convention for their approval of the report.
 'I must take this opportunity also to do what I neglected to do yester- day, namely, to thank the committee on arrangements for so sgnally hon. bring me with the temporary chair manship nomination. It is very great honor to preside over a republican na tional convention which know this to be-
 q am a believer in the keeping of pacts and it was insisted that if I were to be honored with the permanent chairmanship I should make no speech. I am going to keep the compact.
 Again thanking you, ladies and gen tlemen of the conventions the chair calls for the next order of business which is the report of the committee on rules and order of business"
 The report of the rules committee was not presented but it was not ready and at the chairmans request the b. nd started up again, while await ing the report.
 The chairman stopped the music to recognize Senator Shoot for a supple mental report from the credentials committee giving votes to the six dele gates from Hawaii. Porto Rico and the Philippines. It was adopted without opposition. That made the total mum Der of votes in the convention 9S9, making 495 votes necessary to nomi- nate.
 RULES ARE ADOPTED
 INipo11v tho report of the r,1IaS cOY,, mittee was ready and National Com mittee c. D. Warren, Michigan, pre- scented it. It was a unanimous report and has been published.
 Briefly. the rules of the convention are those of the House of Represen- tatives with certain modifications to adapt them to the needs of so differ ing body.
 One of the rules prohibits state delegation from changing it's votes un- less there has been an error in cast ing it. Heretofore delegations have been able to do so
 While the report of the rules com mittee was being read an Associated Press dispatch from Oyster Bay quot ing Colonel Roosevelt as willing to come to Chicago. if the republican con : yention wanted him to address that body. was handed to Chairman Hard ing. lie showed it to Senator Borah, Murray Crane. Charles D. Hilles and it was then passed around to others. Senator Harding had no comment to make, but Senator Borah said: If I were sure that Roosevelt actu- ,lly said that himself I would be in favor of inviting him here.'' The report of the resolutions com mittee was next in order. but the chair nan announced that he would appoint 'ormer Secretary Stimson and Speaker sxxeef of New York tn escnrt Channceu