Evening star., 1932-06-28
ROOSEVELT TRYING
TO MEND ERRORS
Shift on Two Thirds Rnle
Regarded as Effort to
Retrieve Losses.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

CHICAGO. June 28.-Gov. Roosevelt
is struggling hard to keep the tactical
blunders that his forces have made here
from losing him the nomination.
Turning right-about face. James A.
Farley, Roosevelt manager, and J.
Bruce Kremer. chairman of the Rules
Committee, appeared before an informal
session of that committee today and
announced the decision to abandon the
overnight proposal for a suspension of
the two-thirds rule after the sixth
ballot. At the same time the idea OF
nominating a candidate first and adopt
ing a platform afterward was with
drawn By the Roosevelt management.
It means that this convention will
require a two-thirdS vote after all for
President and Vice President. But the
Roosevelt forces are paying the penalty
for their mistakes. Inroads are being
made into their delegations
Almost anything can happen. and the
talk Of alternate candidates, like Baker,
Ritchie and Byrd grows as the Roose-
velt management founders in its
strategy
The platform debate may cause
further schiSms. The Smith forces are
pressing for immediate modification of
the Volstead act in addition to the re-
peal Of the eighteenth amendment. The
Roosevelt forces are inclined to stand
for repeal all right, but they have not
yet decided what to do about the Vel
stead act change, which would permit
light wines and beer. An act of Con-
gress making such a change would re-
quire presidential signature, hence the
attitude Of the prohibition candidate for
President becomes pertinent.
Two blunders have been made which
even some of the veteran politicians in
the Roosevelt ranks recognize as pcs
sibly costing their favorite the nomina-
ton.
Leaders Plans Uncertain.
One is the failure of the New York
Governor to retreat the whole distance
when he announced yesterday his aban-
The other is the Roosevelt effort TO
have the presidential candidate nom-
mated before the platform can be de-
bated and adopted
Then there came another change,
when j. Bruce Kremer of Montana,
Roosevelt manager on the Rules Com
mittee, announced the majority report
would be withdrawn James A. Farley,
the Roosevelt general, said coincidently
that he believed that the nomination
should be by two-thirds vote.
The anti-Rocsevelt forces we're happy
this morning. They sensed victory in
their effort to bloc kthe nomination.
They had nothing last week with which
to beat Roosevelt. Over the weekend
they were respondent. They grabbed
the two-thirds issue eagerly and by
noon Monday enough Roosevelt delega-
tons had deserted to make sure a de-
feat for the proposed majority nominat-
ing rule. Then came the Governors
surrender. The anti-Roosevelt men
were dismayed. 1t looked at first like a
complete retreat and the feeling was
that the Roosevelt army would be re-
formed and would go ahead.
Sign of. Weakness Seen.
But Monday night another change
occurred. The Roosevelt leaders, stung
by stories that they had been beaten
in the informal caucuseS on the two
thirds rule tried to save som m-thing
from the wreckage They went back to
the idea of suspending the two-thirds
rule, but after the sixth ballot This
was hailed Immediately as a sign of
weakness. for it meant the Roosev cit
mathematicians could not figure on q
sure two-thirds and would not get the
nomination on the first ballot, as Man
ager Farley had been boasting they
would. The enemy saw this weakness
and hammered away at it. Roosevelt
managers stuck to their proposition and
by their control Of the Rules Committee
brought forth a recommendation to
! suspend the two-thirds rule after the
sixth ballot.
Irrespective Of this issue, there will
be contest on the rule relating to the
order of business. The anti-Rooses elt
groups are opposed to the idea Of max
ing nomination and then adopting a
platform. They say this procedure
places the delegates in an awkward po-
sition and prevents free debate.
This gives the opponents of Roose-
velt a real issue on principle. Shall
| one man dictate to a party convention?
Shall he boss the show? In other years
the party has made the platform, and
the candidate has been given the choice
Of running on it or rejecting the nomi-
nation The party is the political or
ganization, not the candidate.
Big Guns May Boom.
Some Of the big guns in the oratori-
cal lineup are getting ready for the
fray. John w. Davis, Senator Carter
Glass and perhaps even Senator Har-
rison of Mississippi will be seen on the
rostrum in the debate that is to ensue.
Debate will consume all of today and
possibly a part of Wednesday before
the nominating speeches can get under
way
Already the talk of altsrnates to
Roosevelt is growing hourly. Gov.
Ritchie, Newton Baker and former Gov.
Byrd of Virginia are the three whose
names are most often heard. Second
choice sentiment for Ritchie and Baker
is widespread A ticket like Baker and
Ritchie" is mentioned as is Baker and
Byrd"
But before the dark horses can be
brought in, the defeat Of Roosevelt has
to happen. The New York delegates
are bitter against their own Governor
They will vote, Ga to 80, against the
Roosevelt choice for permanent chair
man, namely, Senator Walsh of Mon
tana. and will support Jouett Shouse
Former Gov. Smith made an indirect
attack on Roosevelt in his speech be-
fore the New York delegation on Mon
day night. The fur is flying And the
battle will be intensely bitter when it
gets going. The private conversation of
the anti-Roosevelt forces indicates this