Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-06-24
|641 SMITH VOTES
ARE UND|SPUTED
Sponsors and Foes Firm in
Views or FirSt-BaIIot
Victory.

| by the Associated Press.
HOUSTON. Tex, June 23.--Al Smith
stands tonight so close to The Demo-
cratic presidential nomination that his
supporters insist he can be put over
at any stage of the convention ballot
| ing next week, and his political foes
| generally concede that only develop
ment not now In prospect car stop him.
There will be LOO delegate votes in
! the convention Two-thirds, or 1888 70,
| will be required to nominate. Smiths
| hackers claim he has ITO first-bailot
| votes safely tucked away, and that at
i'any time he wants them he can pick
up enough more to clinCh the nomira-
| ton in quick order While they arc
| passing the word that favorite sons
! and other candidates are to have their
chance, they have indicated they would
not be surprised If some of them fol-
| lowed the lead of Gov. Richie Of Mary
| land and Withdrew before the result
| of the first ballot Is announced.
| Almost without exception, Smiths OPP
ponents concede him at least $50 votes.
| They are clinging to the hope, however,
| that the tide still can be stemmed and
enough delegates, chiefly from the South
| and favorite son States, held away to
block his nomination on an early bal
| lot and bring about disintegratlon OF
"No
his forces.
Favorite Son States.
There are seven favorite son states
Georgia. Indiana, Kansas. Missouri, Ne
braska. Ohio and Tennessee-and
Smiths foes are counting on all OF the
votes from these States, 202 in all. De-
ing held away from him at the outset.
In addition there are seven southern
States with uninstructed delegates 70
falling 1856. which are not In the Snlth
column and from which, on the nfse
ballot. the New Workers. managers eA-
meet to get few. If any votes. These are
Alabama Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi,
south Carolina. Texas and Virginia
Besides this block of States, which II
held together against Smith would stlii
fall about a dozen short OF furnishing
vetoing one-third in the convention
the Governors political enemies look TO
euch states as Illinois. North Carolina
pennsylvania. Utah and West Verginla
for aid from part of the delegations. II
Is on such a set-up. which smith 5
friends insist can never be perIecteo'
that their hopes OF stopping the leaoInS
contender for the nomination are oaseu;
As the Smith managers see 1t, several
NJ the delegations from favorite-son
states will be champing at the bit, m
at the first opportunity. They are
counting on at least 40 OF Ohlos AZ
delegates. a majority of Indianas so. at
least half of Nebraska'S Is and more
than an even break from Kansas. after
complimentary votes have been cast.
They also say that before the wind-up
Tennessee's "a will be theirs, but for
the most part they are laying no claims
TO Cieorgia's %, instructed for George,
or Missouri's 36, pledged to stand By
Reed to the finish.
Concede Some States.
AS they size up their chances with
the uninstructed delegations from the
South, the Smith leaders are inclined
TO concede those from Alabama. Florida,
South Carolina and Virginia to the
enemy, at least at the outset OF bal
loting. AS they figure 1t. George OF
Georgia, Hull Of Tennessee and per-
haps Donahey of Ohio will pick up
votes from these States.
The Smith men see some chance OF
getting at least half of Arkansas Is at
the start, and. in the face Of fat con-
tradictions from the camps OF the
opposition, are laying claiIrszto Missis-
sippi's 30 and the 40 delegates from
! Texas before the wind-up Both Smith
{
Calculating that they neeo only two
dozen additional delegates TO go over,
the men who are directing convention
maneuvers for the New York Governor
say that Ohio or Indiana. or a combina-
ton from several other States, such as
! Arkansas. Nebraska or Kansas, would
turn the trick.
AS it stands. Smiths supporters arc
claiming the solid delegations from 81
States. the District of Columbia and
the six territories that have conven-
ton representation. and part of the
delegates from three States. A ma
jority of his strength. they emphasize,
Is in the instructed or pledged class.
and for this reason can't be swung
away from their man regardless OF de-
yclopmentS early in the ballotlng.
50 Are In Dispute.
OF the ITO votes listed for Smith by
his supporters. his claim TO 50 is dis
puted by opponents. Deducting the
number challenged, 1t would leave the
Governor of New York Gal undispu,ed
votes, or 9S short of the necessary two
thirds
Four years ago Smith went into the
Madison Square Garden convention
with 24i first ballot delegates. He had
support from II States and Terri
torial possessions, but only the dele
gates from his home State and from
Rhode Island lined up solidly for him
at the start. He reached his peak on
the seventy sixth ballot. running his
total TO 36s. which was three votes
more than one-third Of the delegates
voting.