The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-05-20
N'ADOO STRENGTH .CENTERS FIGHT OF OPPONENTS
Negroes In Doubtful States Are Causing
 Republican Worry
By CHARLES sfiCHELsoN

WASHINGTON, May i9.-Georgt Brennan, the democratic boss of HI nois, was perfectly safe in challenging William Gibbs McAdoo to move for the repeal of the two-thirds rule at demo- cratic national conventions. He knows that McAdoo knows that if there was any chance of a majority nominating, McAdoo's ostensible majority would resolve itself into its clements. The 64S1h votes David Ladd Rockwell is claiming for his chief wOilld be cut in two at least.
 In Brennan's state, for example, Nc AdOo was the only presidential candi- date entered, in the preferential pri- maries. On the face of the returns McAdoo has the 5S delegates from Illinois. Actually it is doubtful if dozen of the 5S are for him. They will all, under, Brennan's direction, comply with the mandate of the primary for a single ballot or for a number of ballots if it suits Brennan's strategy to keep them in cold storage until they are needed for somebody else. But if it were a case. of mere majority sui ficing, the Smith, Underwood and Ral- ston men would never stand to be count ed for McAdoo.
 Brennan's favorite story illustrates the point:
 bartender is quoted as calling out to the proprietor in the back room.
 Has he had it?"
 He has"
 He is."
 McAdoo's convention credit is only good for what they cannot withhold from him. gE
 The situation described as to Illinois is about the same in Missouri and 1owil, and it must not be forgotten that dele gatiOn majority can abrogate the unit rule whenever it wishes to.
 Not Afraid Of Ghosts
 The fact remains that AIcAdoo has more delegates among those elected so far than any other individual. If it were otherwise we would not have the anti-MeAdoO combinations. It is the fellow who is out in front that has to be stopped. Brennan would like to strip McAdoo down to his irreducible mini mum as early as possible for the moral or immoral effect on the convention and no quicker way of doing this could be designed than by showing McAdoo's s impotency to abrogate the two-thirds rule.
 The same result might be accom- pIished by adopting an anti-klan plank not that McAdoo is klansman, but he has successfully dodged hammering the Invisible Empire and in conse- quence, the klan has pumped for him in the primary of every state where it is a factor. Oscar Underwood, who has lambasted the kleagles and goblins, is going to fight for an anti-intolerance plank in the democratic platform and has about an even chance to get it across. The reason it is only an. even chance is that there are flock of southern delegates. who go home to do politics in klan centerS. These, with such western delegates as McAdoo can control, may number more than those who owe allegiance to Al Smith and Underwood. The rest of the candidates are going to be quiet, so that no matter whether the plank is put in or not they avoid antagonizing anybody, which is perhaps the best strategy for a political dark horse.
 Two Factors
 When the klan first became a feature in politics it was intended that the re- publican party would take the lead in repudiating 1t. The Mayheld case was depended on to furnish the republicans with campaign issue as deadly as the .NewberFy case was against them two years ago. It was assumed that the southern democrats would sustain May field, which would give the opposition the opportunity to placard the demo- cratic as the party of intolerance, but the issue moved north and nominated republican candidate for governor of Indiana, and Senator Watson was com pelled by political expedieney to make
 (Coutinued on Page Twol