Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-05-31
ME- INC PLACE:
Of REPUBLICANS
IN CHICAGO HAS
A RICH HISTORY
coliseum Has Housed Five
National Political Conyen-
tionS, a Record Unsur-
passed By Any Building,
SEATING CAPACITY is
GREATEST IN HISTORY
Annex Boasts a Post Office
to Facilitate Collection and
Distribution of Mail for
the Officials.
icy MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wrpri

tsr MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL tsAsEp wIREl
CHICAGO, Nav 30-The Chicago
Coliseum. where the republican ma
tional convention of 1920 will be
he'd. beginning June s, has his
tory rich in political interest. Five
national political conventions have
been held within its walls a recordI
unsurpassed by anv building in the
United States.
Every four wears since 1904 the
republican party has met in the
Coliseum to nominate its candi-
dates for president and vice presi-
dent. and in 1912 the progressive
party also met there to nominate
Col. Theodore Roosevelt for presi-
dent.
The Coliseum was completed in
1900. 1t was designed as a model
site of the d Libby War Prison
museum. at Wabash avenue and
Fifteenth street. less than a mile
from the hotel and retail shopping
district.
The castellated walls of the old
war prison We're used for the Wa
bash avenue side of the structure,
Is.
and glass and is 400 feet long. 10
feet wide. 1t cost nearly $1,000 |
600 1t has wide balcony extend
ing around three of the walls. and
this has been amplified for this
Years convention by the addition
Of second balcony on the north
AS a result the seating capacity.
13.1S7, is the greatest in the build
ing's history. only t2.400 were
seated at the 1916 convention.
The main floor of the Coliseum
will seat 9400 delegates alternates
press representatives and snecta-
tors. There VIII be 100 doorkeep-
ers. 200 ushers and 1000 sergeants-
alarms. All the ushers and door
keepers will be overseas soldiers
sailors and marines. working with
military discipline under the direc-
ton of former armv officers. BvI
this system the national committee
hopes to avert the overcrowding oil
four wears ago when hundreds Of
persons stormed the doors. forced
their Wav past the unframed door
keepers and pre- -empted seats for
which they held no tickets.
The speakers platform at the
south end OF the building will pro-
vide seats for the officers of the
convention and members of the re-
publican national committee. Be
hind this is a raised platform with
2.000 seats for the use of presi-
dental candidates and other dis
tinguished guests. on either side
of the speakers platform extend
ing across the building. Is a press
section containing 575 seats for
working newspaper men.
Facing the speaker are the seats
for the 9s4 delegates and an equal
number of alternates. This section
is enclosed bv a heavy rail to hold
back the crowds of frenZled spec
tators who frequently. during mo-
ments of intense enthusiasm; at
tempt to storm the speakers stand.
The rest of the main floor and all
the balconies will be given over to-
visitors.
Tickets for spectators have been
divided among the national COM
mitteemen from each state. in pro-
portion to the state representation
in the convention. with the excep-
tion of block of about $500 seats
which go to the Chicago conven-
ton committee. which financed the
convention ARRANGEMENTS. with
less than 10000 visitors seats to
be distributed the committeeman
had received more than $4,000 re-
quests for tickets weeks in advance
of the convention. 1.
The Chicago convention commit
tee. of which Fred W. Upham. re-
publican national treasurer. Is
chairman, raised s150.000 to bring
the. convention to Chicago. The
high cost of everything has hit the
convention. Music which cost s2.-
1916. costs $1,000 a day for q band
of fifty pieces this wear, Other ex-
penses are in proportion.
The republican national com
mittee moved its executive offlces
to the Coliseum several weeks. in
advance. of the ,conyyentiqn' Al
Joining the main building = an an
mex connected with the Coliseum
proper bv several broad arches and
entrances. Here are located the
executive and administrative Of
fices. temporary hospital in
charge of 100 Chicago physicians,
and. in the basement. g telegraph
and telephone room where scores
of special wires have been installed
for the use of the news gathering
associations and newspapers winch
will cover the convention.
The annex also boasts q branch
postoffice to facilitate speedy col
lection and distri6s91tion OF man TO
merous committee rooms for the
national committee and various
committees of the convention
In the decoration of the conven--
ton hall the managers have aoided
by the long established custom or
relying exclusively. on profuse dis
NAV of the American flag. Four
Years ago this custom was depart,
ed from in the. use of gold and
white bunting but. the cost was
found excessive this wear: c.. r.
Hall superintendent of the Coli
scum. who Is in charge. of the dec
orations. has used hundreds OF big
and little American flags to COM
pletely cover the girders and iron
framework of the building.
Jews to Go to Palestine.
Winnipeg. Manitoba. May 30.--
Emigration of ninety Jewish fami-
lies from winnipeg to Palestine is
being ARRANGED by two societies,
"Hoiker" and 'Hoachuso." it was
learned recentlv, The former has
sent representatives to Palestine to
purchase land while the latter al