Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-07-02
GROUPS BLOCKING
CHOICE STILL FIRM
McAdoo Generals Insist No
Real Break in Lines Has
Been Achieved.
SMITH POINTS TO GAINS
Davis Boom Holly Contested by
Experimentation Grows Com
promise Is Certain.
SMITH POINTS TO GAINS
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
NEW YORK, July 1.-THE three
cornered deadlock in the Democratic ma
tional convention has gone so far tina
only a conference of leaders can breal
it up and bring about the nomination
of a compromise candidate.
The latest plan is for a conference Of
dressed by former Gov Judson Harmon
of Ohio, William Jennings Bryan ant
prominent Democratic members of Con
greSS in order TO determine a course OF
action.
Such a conference is talked OF for to-
night. but the hopes Of each of the three
groups now blocking a nomination are
still so high that it would not be sur.
prising if the conference idea Were
blocked, at least until tomorrow.
Smith Leaders for Farley.
New York state is understood to be
taking the initiative in bringing abou,
the conference, as the Empire state lead
ers think that in a straight-out discus
sion across the table they can demon
Strate how excellent would be Smith s
chances of election should he be nom
mated.
There is. on the other hand, unaltera-
BILE opposition to Gov. Smith from the
dry wing of the party, which comprises
the west and the south. William Jen'
nings Bryan who has been effectually
squeIching the Davis boom by threaten
ing to take the floor against him, is or
the warpath with respect to Smith
Bryan objects to the New York governor
as wet.
Some of the men prominent in the
Smith camp who see no imm ediate
outcome of the deadlock say they are
powerless to break it so long as
Smith continues to gain. They say
the McAdoo people ought to be ready
for a conference, but until the Smith
vote drops off too, a pow-Wow OF
party leaders would hardly be
brought about.
McAdOO Generals Confident.
But if the Smith men think McAdoo
is out of it, the McAdoo generals dc
we have withstood attacks al
along the line" said Breckenridge
Long of Missouri, floor manager Of
the McAdoo forces, and we have
be broken down. We have lost here
and there and probably will lose {
few more. but we have a strong line
and the opposition will learn that Il
can stick
Managers are always more Opt
mistic than delegates, who usual!
weary of prolonged balloting. There
is Impotence and restiveness in the
ranks of the delegates. The pressure
to break the unit rule in severa
states is growing. The McAdoo man.
ayers have some hope of getting Mis-
souri, back later today, and alst
think Mississippi will swing to them
Either one of these expectations, II
n
McAdoo boom.
Majority Vote Unlikely.
But the concensus of opinion con-
tinues to grow that neither McAdot
nor Smith, even if they gain a hun
dred votes more, can get majority
much less a two-thirds vote me
task is now to convince the leaders
of the McAdoo and Smith campaign:
of that fact. The favorite son dele.
cations, who constitute nearly a thire
of the votes, are not pouring III
enough votes to help either Smith OF
NcAdoo. The htalked-of reserve
power for either Smith or McAdoo Is
proving a myth.
There are more Smith votes to be
polled, but not to exceed 100 more
The early ballots today showed thai
there was virtually little change
overnight. The various meetings OIL
DELEGATIONS failed to indicate any
big OBJECTIONS from any side. Under
the circumstances the outlook was
for another fifteen ballots, making a
total of forty-fVe.
Indications are that the record OF
both Baltimore and San Francisco
would be exceeded, and that nomi-
nation might not be made until after
fifty ballots. In the words of an IT.
:, reconcilable delegate Instructed TO
vote for McAdoo until his name is
withdrawn, "the first sixty ballots are
always the wearleSt.
The compromise candidates who
seem at the moment to have a chance
for the nomination when the deadlock
is broken appear to be John W. Davis
Indiana, James NJ. Cox of Ohio, Sena-
tor Glass of Virginia, Senator Under
wood of Alabama and Newton ID.
Baker of Ohio. OF these the situation
developing appears to favor Davis
Ralston, Glass and Underwood. Mar
rowing the choice still further, the
ultimate selection may be between
Davis and Ralston, and second
deadlock may yet be in prospect
when the convention shows it's line
up on the West Virginian and the
senator from Indiana.
McAdoo Writes Delegates.
The chairman of every delegation
favorable to William Gibbs McAdoo
received on the floor today the fol
lowing letter from him:
Il want to let you ana the mem
bers of your delegation know how
warmly l appreciate the splendid
way in which it has continued it.
support of me during the grueline
battle now in progress. My onl,
regret is that I cannot be on the
floor myself to fight by your side.
wish YOU would let each individual
member of the delegation know that
despite my absence, l am following
each ballot in detail and with the
greatest admira ton of the way the
McAdoo delegations are holding fast
''The fight is progressing along the
lines expected. Intensive drives are
being made to disintegrate our forces
While we have temporarily lost some
votes, no other candidate has shown
any commanding strength. The
tactics of the opposition. of course
have been to try to tire out tn,
McAdoo delegates and then have the
bosses agree among themselves on {
Candidate. I do not believe that the
WcAdoo delegates will ever be partie!
to any such arrangement.
I'm a fight for principle there car
he no compromise. This is that sor
Of fight. Discussions exist in thu
ranks of the opposition. If we con
tinue to hold our lines, victory Il
sure to come.
LET us continue to stand firm.
CORDIALLY yours,
:: civilian G. McADOO."