Evening star., 1924-06-26
CUTS S|NT0M'AD0O
STRENGTH STARTED
Leaders Convinced, How
ever, They Can Retain
Votes to Block Smith.
WALSH AND BAKER LOOM
Break to Dark Horses May Start
Before Tenth Ballot, Due
to Maneuvering.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

| NEW YORK, June 26.-Strategy is
| no sin, said Senator Pat Harrison in
his keynote speech, and the managers
| for the fifteen or more candidates as
piring to the presidential nomination
are taking him at his word.
The effort to wean away delegates
from McAdoo has begun in earnest
and some headway is being made.
Trades and bargains looking to the
accumulation of second choice
pledges are being consummated on
every side.
Of the dark horses" Newton D.
Baker of Ohio and Senator Thomas F.
Walsh of Montana are beginning to
figure prominently in the discussions
of what will happen when both Nc
Adoo and Smith are eliminated.
Race May End Soon.
There are signs that the long-ex-
pected endurance test may not ma
terialize after all and that nomina-
ton will come within twenty ballots.
This is being revealed by the strategy
of the managers themselves, who are
asking for 'favorite son" delegations
to come to them on the fourth or fifth
ballot at the latest. This means that
the maximum strength of the two
leading candidates will be reached
before the tenth ballot and that many
delegations will then feel free to
abandon their instructions. Judging
from present appearances, tnere Is
going to be good deal of bitterness
about violation of pledges and in
structions, for it never has been def
nitely established in convention poll
tics when an instructed delegation
can turn to a dark horse and how
long a pledge should stick.
The NrcAdoo lines will hold for at
least five ballots. Some defections
may then be expected, but at present
writing the McAdoo management is
confident of a last-ditch strength
third of the number of delegates
| here-enough to block a nomination
Will Not Go to Smith.
The McAdoo "last-ditch' delegates
will not go to Gov. AL Smith. They
are SO vehement in their expressions
of bitterness at treatment received
here that they are beginning to say
they will cast their strength IN any
other direction but that or smith.
| The talk of Senator Walsh OF Mon
| tana is developing largely because
the anti-KIan groupes in the conven-
ton realize they cannot hope to win
the McAdoo element with Smith, but
that the adherents of the former sec
retary of the Treasury might not De
ayerse to the Montana senator IN
other words, if the issue Is to be
religious one, the McAdoo delegates
would prefer a dry" Catholic 10
wet" Catholic.
The demonstration on Wednesday
against the Klan revealed the depth
of feeling on that issue and may mean
the selection of Catholic on the
ticket as Vice President If not as
president. The McAdoo managers are
beginning to consider a McAdoo- Walsh
combination for President and svlce
President, as one way of showing they
are not controlled by the hu hiuA
Klan.
Staged for Purpose.
The artificiality of the demonstration
staged by the McAdoo people was ap-
parent to everybody, but it had pur-
pose just the same. 1t was to an
swer the rumors that McAdoo had lost
most of his delegates. Today the
Smith supporters are out to prove by
noise and otherwise that they have as
much strength as McAdoo, and as
much, if not more, enthusiasm back of
their candidate.
Former Senator Phelan's speech for