Evening star., 1932-04-05
A Roosevelt Keynoter.

A Roosevelt Keynoter.
The Roosevelt presidential band wagon
lurches forward again. The temporary
chairman and keynote speaker of tine
Democratic national convention. chosen
yesterday In Chicago, Senator Barkley
of Kentucky, is Roosevelt man. The
choice of the Democratic National Com
mittee chairman, John j. Raskob, for
temporary chairman, 1t had been re-
ported, was Jouett Shouse. Mr.. Shouse
is chairman of the Executive Committee
of the Democratic National Committee
and in charge of the national head
quarters. He aroused the anger Of the
Roosevelt supporters not long ago by
issuing a statement urging all the
States to send uninstructed delegations
to the Democratic National Convention.
Although having had their way in the
matter of the selection of temporary
chairman and keynote speaker, the
Roosevelt forces were compelled to ac-
cept Mr.. Shouse as permanent chair
man of the National Convention. The
permanent chairman takes over the
handling Of the convention as soon as
the keynoter has sounded off. His is O
responsible position, with important
rulings to make and with the power to
recognize the speakers. The anti
Roosevelt forces among the Democrats
perhaps feel that they have stolen
march at least on the New York Gov
ernor and his friends, and that while
they have relinquished the key1sts
speaker and temporary chairmanship,
they have won more than they have
lost. That. however, is still matter
of conjecture. The selection Of the
officers of the convention has been
made by the Committee on Arrange
ments, a subcommittee appointed by
Chairman Raskob. The selections Of
these officers must be ratified later If
the Roosevelt forces believe it to be of
sufficient Importance they might yet
unhorSe Mr. Shouse when the conven-
tion meets
Unless there is decided change in
sentiment, unless Gov. Roosevelt slips
from popular favor to q considerable
degree in the next few weeks, the New
Yorker will go into the convention sup
ported by more than majority Of the
delegates. A recent estimate of conven-
ton strength, put forward by Roosevelt
headquarters in New York, gives him
70l out Of 1854 delegate votes on the
first ballot. 1t goes further, and claims
that another 86 votes will drop into the
Roosevelt lap on the second ballot,
thereby giving Gov Roosevelt 7s7 votes,
or more than the necessary ITO to nom-
mate. These estimates on analysis, ap-
pear to be conservative. And further
more, the predictions of the Roosevelt
campaign managers up to the present
time have been borne out by the results
Of primary elections and State conven-
tions to degree that has been exceed
ingly alarming to the Roosevelt
coalition.
To-day Roosevelt has a total of 1923
delegates pledged or instructed for him.
They represent eight States, widely
scattered through the country. In Wis
consin the Democrats are voting today
to determine whether their delegates
to the national convention shall sup
port Roosevelt. Smith or another. The
prospects are that Roosevelt will have
a majority of the Wisconsin delegation
The Roosevelt forces make one claim
which is likely to be disputed and derided
by the opponents of the New Yorker.
That is that Is out of the 36 delegates OF
Massachusetts, will be for Roosevelt on
the first ballot. Massachusetts, the
anti-Roosevelt Democrats assert vigor-
ously, is for Smith first, last and all
the time. However, on the 26th day of
April this matter will be definitely set
Roosevelt should, indeed, win 16 of the
Massachusetts, delegates, then the ques-
ton of his nomination will have been
rather definitely settled On that same
Cay he is likely to pick up the big bulk
of the. Pennsylvania delegation, per-
haps so. If such is the case, it viii
matter little who is permanent chair
man of the Democratic national con-
vention, so far as any effect it may have
on the presidential nomination is con-
cerned.