Evening star., 1932-06-28
WALSH IS VICTOR
IN FIRST SK|RM|SH
Committee Backs Senator
for Chairman Over ShouSe
in 36-to-12 Vote.
BY ]. A. OLEARY,
STAFF Correspondent of The Star.


ton of the Roosevelt forces to stand
by Senator Thomas j. Walsh of Mon
tana for permanent chairman of the
Democratic National Convention was
foreShadcwed last night by the action
of the Committee on Permanent Or
ganization in voting, 36 to II, to rec
ommend Walsh for presiding officer in
preference to Jouett Shouse, executive
chairman of the National Committee.
The committee appointed to submit
recommendations is composed of only
one delegate from each State and Ter
ritcry, whereas when the fight comes
to a head in the convention all of the
1854 delegates will be voting. The
vote in committee, therefore, is not
conclusive test of the outcome in the
convention, where the vote is likely TO
be much closer. The committee action,
however, shows that the battalion Of
Roosevelt delegates is cohesive and I'm
yielding
The voting strength Of States repre-
sented by the members supporting
Walsh is STA, and the voting strength
of States represented by members sup
porting Shouse is 348 The voting
strength of the States recorded as not
voting in committee is 1872.
Harmony Preserved.
That the Democrats will try to go
through the factional contests that
face them during the next few days
without leaving scars of Ill feeling
which might remain unhealed in the
subsequent campaign was apparent in
the debate which took place between the
Walsh and Shouse advocates in last
nights committee meeting. They sue
ceeded pretty well in preserving an at
mosphere of harmony in the Organiza-
tion Committee but the permanent
Craftsmanship is but preliminary skir-
mish to the real battle that will come
on the balloting for presidential candi-
dates later in the week
Speakers who arose last night to urge
Walsh for permanent chairman were
generous in their expressions Of good
will toward ShouSe, and the Shouse
advocates heaped praise upon the rec
ord of Walsh as an outstanding figure
in the party.
Each side insisted, however. that its
man should be given the post of pre-
siding officer. The Shouse followers
pointed to the action of a subcommit-
tee Of the National Committee several
months ago in proposing an agreement
under which Senator Barkley of Ken
lucky would be suggested to the con-
vention for temporary chairman and
keynoter and Mr.. Shouse for perma-
! nent chairman. They said the first
part of the recommendation has been
carried out, and they appealed to the
Roosevelt forces to support the second
part, involving Mr.. Shouse, in the in
terest of party harmony.
The hackers of Senator Walsh coun-
tered with reminder that the Roose-
velt camp had just taken steps to re-
-.
cation Of the tWo-thirds rule-and they
asked:
Must all the harmony come from
the Roosevelt side?"
w. E. Lancaster of Illinois led the
debate for Mr.. Shouse, and after the
vote in favor of Walsh lfsd been re-
! corded he announced he would file a
minority report in the convention.
Lancaster said there is no disagreement
over the ability and accomplishments
OF Senator Walsh, but that Mr. Sheuse
had been recommended for the chair
manship before the present contest had
developed He gave ShouSe's work as
director of the National Committee as
an important factor in obtaining Demo-
cratic control of the House of Repre-
sentatives and for gains in Senate
membership
Speeches in favor of Senator Walsh
were made by more than 6ozen COM
mlttee members, who, while recogniz-
ing the services Shouse has rendered
the party through the National Com
m1ttee, declared that Senator Walsh
has brought credit to the party through
MS services for many years.
Will Back the Nominee.
A. J. Wirtz of Texas. who supported
Shouse, declared that I'VE may scrap.
but when 1 go out of this convention
Ill be for the nominee"
j. j. Lynch of Tennessee, speaking
for Senator Walsh, said 1t is ALWAYS
! the privilege and duty of the conven-
ton to name its permanent chairman,
even though subcommittee has made
a recommendation, and he wanted to
know If there is anything wrong in a
crowd that has a majority electing one
OF its group to be chairman" And
| then he added: IF you fellows elect
Shouse, there won't be word out Of
the Roosevelt men"
After the vote had been taken in
favor of Walsh, John Fitzgerald, a for
mer mayor of Boston and a former
member OF the House, who had sup
ported Shouse, proposed that they bring
the meeting to a close with a song.
He led the way and they all joined in
the chorus.
The District of Columbia was re-
| corded as not voting when the roll was
called Other States whose members
did not vote in committee were Indiana,
New Mexico, New York and Rhode
Island
The States which cast one vote each
for Walsh were Alabama, Arizona, Ar
kansas, Colorado, Florida. Georgia,
Idaho, Iowa, Kansas. Kentucky, Louis
lana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota,
Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Ne
braska, Nevada New Hampshire, North
! Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Penn
sylvania, South Carolina, South Da-
kota; Tennessee, Utah, Vermont,
washington. West Virginia, Wisconsin,
| Wyoming, Hawaii Porto Rico and the
Canal Zone. Total, So.
For Shouse-California, Connecticut,
Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachu-
setts, New Jersey, Ohio. Oklahoma,
Texas, Virginia and Alaska. Total, r.