Evening star., 1932-06-28
Blunders Hurt
Chances of
Governor.
RITCHIE, BAKER
GAIN STRENGTH
Choice of Nominee
May Precede Plat
form Action.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN,
staff Correspondent Of The Star.

CHICAGO, June 28.-Franklin
D. Roosevelt's political fortunes
hung very much in the balance as
the Democratic National Conven-
ton assembled for its second seS-
sion at noon today.
With the Democratic presiden-
tial nomination practically within
his grasp, stupidity or. the part OF
his friends in Chicago and bad
judgment on the part of the New
York Governor himself have per-
haps endangered the whole
Roosevelt movement.
The Roosevelt leaders capitu-
lated entirely today on the rules
fight. James A. Farley, head of
the Roosevelt command, an
nounced to members of the Rules
Committee that the Roosevelt
forces would accept the rules Of
the 1928 convention, including the
two thirds rule and the proposal
that the platform be dealt with
first by the convention and then
the nominations be made.
Farley Confident.
Farley continued to assert vigorously
however, that Gov. Roosevelt would be
nominated for President. In other
quarters. however, there was grave
doubt expressed as to whether, after
tt,a aXh1hifPd
the Roosevelt people in connection with
the rules fight, that it would be pos
sible to hold the Roosevelt delegates
in line.
A victory today in the fight over the
permanent Craftsmanship of the conyen-
ton appeared essential if the Roosevelt
forces are to be rallied. A defeat there
would give Roosevelt a terrific setback
Another fight which the Roosevelt
people face today is over the report oi
the Credentials Committee, where tht
Louisiana delegation, headed by Senator
Huey Long, faces a contest on the fiool
OF the convention. Long has been tiec
in with the Roosevelt faction. If he
should lose, and the convention should
not seat him and his delegation, il
would be another marker against the
New York Governors candidacy.
viii Prevent Fight.
Bruce Kremer, chairman of the Rules
Committee, announced at the opening
of the session of the convention today
that there WoulQ be a meeting of the
Rules Committee to consider making q
revised report OF the convention hall
itself Immediately.
The decision to hold suciI a meeting
F1ll Il Il, i,
the Roosevelt camp was agcinSt gong
any further with a fight on the old
rules. Kremer is a Roosevelt lieu
tenant
The report Of the Committee on Gre
dentials is expected to come first in the
order of business today.
If the Rules Committee, which has
been controlled by the Roosevelt forces,
follows the Farley leadership the fight
over rules on the floor of the convention
will be avoided by bringing in a report
favoring the old rules.
The Roosevelt leaders realize today
the mistake they made when they
launched last Thursday night the plan
Tor abandonment of the historic two
thirds rule for nominations in Demo-
cratic National Conventions, and prob
ably Gov. Roosevelt realizes his own
| poor judgment in not at once making
a frank statement declaring it his de-
| sire TO be nominated under the old rule
The Rules Committee voted to bring
/ in a report recommending the adoption
Of the 1928 rules. two-thirds rule and
all the rest. This was done. it was
explained by Daniel C. Roper, the Dis
trict Of ColumbiaS member of the COM
mittee, in order TO promote harmony
No minority report will be submitted
So ends the fight over the rules, al
though it leaves many scars.
The effect Of the belated withdrawal
of Gov. Roosevelt and his friends from
the battle to bring about a majority
rule in the national convention has
been to weaken his prestige and to en-
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