Evening star., 1928-06-12

ing hurriedly about getting the lay
out OF seats. Then, without ceremony,
but with plentiful purpose. the dele
| gates began to dribble In and find their
seats. Then the newspaper men, some
OF them with noiseless typewriters,
| others with pencils and stacks of paper,
gradually filled the big press section.
All this time radio men and tele-
graph men we're testing out their in
struments. The amplification device.
which hangs in great cluster of in
yerted megaphones over the speaker 8
desk, was given trial after trial by a
man who repeatedly talked into it.
o--hello-hello-heIl
BY 10 o'clock-an hour before the
| opening time--the hall was a quarter
| filled. A band. concealed somewhere
| In the upper recesses Of the high. top
most galleries, suddenly burst into tune
"a lively march that set folks drum
ming on desks and tapping with their
| feet. All through the hall photogra-
| pliers wandered at will Now and then
burst of light and the puff" OF a
| hashlight proclaimed another picture.
Smoking was allowed. But the hall Is
so big, the ceiling so high, it doesn't
seem to bother anybody.
The band changes from fast march
to slow, very sad tune. Then 1t
switches back TO ragtime.
| Reporters dart about on the floor
with pencil and note books interview
| ing solemn celebrities. Announcement
comes through underground channels
| that Mellon has finally come out for
Hoover The excitement rippIes over
| the hall. One looks to Kansas. West
Virginia. Indiana. Illinois. and the Da-
kotaS to find whether tears are being
shed. They are not.
Committeeman Arrive.
Distinguished members of the ma
| tional committee occupying their seats
behind the platform where the speak
ers will stand. begin to arrive in twos
and threes. The ladies preen their fine
| feathers. They know that thousands Of
| feminine eyes are seeking them out
1t is 1890 o'clock, Chairman Butler
comes out on the speakers platform
and begins to thump with his gavel
The raps make no impression on the
hum Of many tongues. But his voice,
through the amplifiers, browns out the
opposition. He calls the attention Of
the crowd to the fact that there will be
no smoking. The crowd doesn't believe
him. 1t keeps on smoking, although
some OF the timid souls hurriedly stamp
out their cigarettes and cigars.
| The floor of the convention hall Is
now filled with delegates and alternates
who are milling about. Some Of them
however, prefer to sit. Crowding down
all the aisles in the galleries, there Is
steady stream Of spectators. The tenn
perature Is comfortable. The visibility
Is fine.
There is much conferring going for
ward on the speakers platform. The
band begins to play. Some take I'D the
tune and begin whistling. There is q
lot OF talk, tremendous clatter.
Cameramen Ready.
/ High over the heads of the delegates
Is battery Of cameramen standing on
a special platform constructed for them
They line up their cameras and point
them here and there like machine gum
neTs preparing to stop an attack. There
are intermittent flashes and puffs as
one after another f1ashlight is set of
Only 20 minutes to go now and the
hall Is in an uproar. Everybody talk.
ing. Those who have found their seats
are getting up and walking around tc
visit. There are many vacant seats in
the balconies: few on the floor. Mosi
OF the delegates seem to be here.
As the members of the delegation.
and the chosen and hapd-picked assort.
ment Of extremely lucky spectators be.
gan dribbling then pouring into tht
hall this morning to find their seats
they were able to give some attention
TO the decorations and arrangement
made for the convention sessions ir
Kansas City's historic Convention Hall
The interior of the hall Is festooneC
with red, white and blue bunting, which
Is hung over the ratings OF the gal
leries and box seats. From steel, raft.
ers hang the national colprs. gold star,