Evening star., 1932-06-24
ROOSEVELT'S FATE
HINGES ON FIGHT
ON TWO-TH|RD RULE
Defeat of Governor Seen in
Losing Majority Nomlna-
ton Battle.
LEADERS ARE STIRRED
BY HAGUE STATEMENT
Jersey City Mayor Declares New
Yorker Has No Chance to
Win if Chosen.
BY G. GOULR LINCOLN.
Stan Correspondent Of The Star.


CHICAGO, Ill, June 24.-The Roose-
welt forces, announcing they will seek
immediate abolishment OF the century,
old two-thirds rule of nominating can
didates in the Democratic National
Convention, have done bold thing.
With more than a majority of the
delegates lined up for Roosevelt, they
believe they can smash the rule and
adopt majority rule.
But whether all the Roosevelt dele
gates will favor such action is still
question. The Roosevelt leaders are
relying on the bitterness stirred up in
the coming battle over the rule to hold
their forces in line. For the plan to
abolish the rule will be stoutly and bit
terly contested by the anti-Roosevelt
Democrats generally.
If Roosevelt and his delegates win
this fight the jig is up. Roosevelt will
be nominated and Al Smith and all the
favorite son candidates will be out OF
luck.
If he loses this contest. Rooseyelt's
candidacy will have received a black
eye.
Many Of the Democratic leaders hail
the move as courageous. Others declare
1t stupid.
Fight to Go to Floor.
But these results will not be brought
about without a desperate fight. 1t
will be carried to the floor of the con-
vention, Roosevelts opponents declared
today.
The abrogation of the two-thirds rule
is threat which the Roosevelt leaders
have held over the heads Of the oppo-
sition. In view of the nasty fight which
the Roosevelt opposition has indicated
it intended to make against the New
York Governor, a group OF Roosevelt
supporters from practically every State
in the Union and the Territories and
the District of Columbia at a meeting
last night adopted the following resolu-
ton:
That it be the sense of this gather
ing of the friends of Franklin D. RooSe-
welt that we pledge ourselves to do all
within our power to bring about the
abolition of the two-thirds rule and the
adoption of the majority rule in this
Democratic convention"
The Roosevetians say they have ab-
solute control of the Rules Committee
of the convention which is to be ap-
pointed when the convention meets.
They have seen to this, with the dele
cations instructed and favorable to
Roosevelt instructed to select strong
Roosevelt men for service on the COM
mittee. Bruce Kreme- Of Montana,
Democratic national committeeman,
has been picked by the Roosevelt crowd
to head the Rules Committee.
The convention when it meets Mon
day will provide for the appointment OF
a committee on rules, as well as Tor
committees on resolutions, credentials
and permanent organization. Ihe
Roosevelt forces expect to dominate all
these committees. The Rules Commit
tee is empowered to report to the con-
vention a new set of rules, including a
majority rule for nominations, and
these new rules can then be adopted
by a majority vote Of the convention
The decision of the supporters OF
Gov. Roosevelt, meeting in the Roose-
welt headquarters last night, was made,
it was said. by James M. Farley, Demo
cratic State chairman of New York and
field marshal of the Roosevelt forces,
j.. without consultation with Gov. Roose-
vs.& in Albany 1t was the action OF
the Roosevelt supporters "on their
own"
Early Move to Be Made.
Mr.. Farley said today that be assumed
the move TO abolish the two-thirds rule
would be made at the start of the con-
Vention. He said:
we are going to follow through on
the resolution we adopted last night.
We will move to abrogate Immediately" "
He said that the opponents OF abroga-
ton of the two-thirds rule would un-
doubtedly bring in a minority report
from the Rules Committee.
The convention, he said, will have
to decide"
He brushed aside the argument OF the
Roosevelt opponents that 1t would be
unfair to abolish the two-thirds rule
and leave the unit rule in effect. He
said that only the States themselves
can decide the unit rule for the indi-
vidual Stetes. Some Of them have a
unit rule and others do not.
we would not have made the move
for this abolition Of the two-thirds rule
if we had not been sure Of our ground, .
said the Roosevelt leader.
He said that Roosevelt had be- told
of the action Of the leaders hele, but
that any comment from the Governor
would have to come from Albany.
Farley said he believed the Southern
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