Evening star., 1920-06-28

delegates and perplexing the elder
politicians in their pre-conventior
conferences.
The keynote speech of Homer s
Cummings. as temporary chairman
was the principal feature of the days
program. Later in the day the newly
selected convention committees were
to furnish the first real developmen n IS
as they began their tasks of writing
the platform. hearing appeals from
contests over delegate seats. and
making up the convention rules and
state OF permanent convention off,
GERS.
RumOred McAdOo Will Accept.
The livest subject in the minds of
pending prohibition fight. but talk Of
candidates was gaining more and
more attention as the rival managers
got down to cases with the big body
or unlnstructed and unpledged dele
gates.
Today for the first time the entire
convention personnel was here and
the opposing elements were taking
definite bearings.
The latest turn of the McAdoo boom
furnished new angle to the conven-
ton preliminaries. but itn precise eff
feet on the relative situation of the
candidates was not yet clear An
y
tary of the Treasury. despite his dec
laration that he did not want the
nomination. would be willing to ac-
cept it. was variously accepted by the
several elements in the fight.
BY some it was declared the devel-
Opment meant that McAdoo. whose
supporters hitherto had planned to
keep him in the background for sew
eral ballots, now would be an active
contender from the start and that i'll
consequence the convention, like that
of the republicans at Chicago, would
have A big three. running close to-
gether on the opening roll call. The
possibility of such development
brought renewed claims of consistent
gains from the supporters of Palmer
and Cox, and set the dark horses
champing impa tiently as they recalled
what happened to the big three at
Chicago.
The Palmer and Cox managers sought
to discount the apparent significance OF
the McAdoo announcement. which was
made last night by National Commit
teeman Love of Texas, without saying
whether he had any direct authorization
from Mr. McAdoo. 1t was apparent,
however that many of the McAdoo
workers. who have been canvassing for
votes without much organization or sys-
TEN. accepted the statement of Mr..
Love at it's face value
Secretary Meredith Mentioned.
Among the best informed politicians
the general opinion was that it still was
too early to definitely forecast what
would happen. They suggested that
the Love statement only put the tech
nical situation back where it was when
Mr. McAdoo announced recently that he
date. At that time both Attorney Gen
eral Palmer and Gov. Cox were active
candidates and their supporters were
claiming victory.
In the prc-convention scramble for
delegates. many of those who had been
McAdoo supporters promised to vote for
other candidates, but the McAdoo men
declared today that practically every
one of these could be brought back into
There was frequent mention of Sec
retary Meredith Of the Agriculture De-
partment. as a possible running mate
for Mr.. McAdoo. Mr. Mereditf's presi-
DENTAL campaign headquarters were
closed Saturday, when he announced he
was in No sense a candidate.
A discussion of candidates manifestly
still was subordinate in the minds Of
many of the delegates to the prohibi-
tion issue, and they regarded the in
evitable preliminaries of the opening
session with impatience as they waited
for the time when the differences of
the VETS and drys could be thrashed out.
1t seemed foregone conclusion that
the question would be settled only after
stubborn fight on the floor, bringing
into play the best oratoricai and strate-
gical fireworks of a typical democratic
convention. The. league of nations and
the Irish question also threatened to get
out Of the control of the resolutions
committee and shower the convention
floor with pyrotechnics. There were
many expressions of hope, however. that
both might be thrashed out to a salts
factory conclusion behind the commit
tee doors.
In the organization of the resolu-
tions committee itself, a fight was
brewing. though it was not apparent
how serious it might become. Sena-
tor Glass of Virginia, chosen by the
administration as its candidate for
COMMITTEES chairman. was declared by
his friends to be certain of election,
though movement against him had
been started by western delegates.
walsh After Chafrmanship.
The candidate of the anti Glass eie-
ment was Senator Walsh of Montana,
who supported the peace treaty with
the republican reservations. Those
fayofing him declared their fight was
not an anti administration movement
and was based primarily on the be-
accorded proper recognition in the
convention. No one from that sec
ton, they declared, was on the slate
OF convention officials or was promi-
nently mentionedsfor either the presi-
dency or the vice presidency Elee-
tien OF the resolutions committee
chairman was expected late in the
day, and at the same time the newly
formed credentials committee was to
take up the Georgia and Missouri
contests while the rules committee
was determining on a list of perma-
nent officers for the convention. SEN
ator Robinson of Arkansas had been
selected by the administration group
for the permanent chairmanship and
his Endorsement by the committee
seemed assured.
Bryan Strangely Quiet.
Contrary to the expectations Of
many delegates. William Jennings
Bryan was having little to say about
the permanent organization of the
convtntion and it's committees. Busy
with his fight to put dry plank
interposing no active opposition to
the administration organization pro-
gram. though he was credited with
lending encouragement to the candi-
dacy OF Senator Walsh for the reso-
1utions craftsmanship
AS in more than one previous ma
tional convention. Mr., Bryan was
looked upon as an unknown guam
tity which might turn out to be the
deciding factor in almost any of the
political equations now confronting
the party leaders. No one professed
to know what new and unexpected
element he might bring into play at
the critical time.
j. Bruce Kremer of Montana, vice
chairman of the national committee,
had been selected to call today's ses-
sion to order and to present Chair
man Cummings. At the conclusion of
the KEYNOTE address of Mr. Cum