Evening star., 1934-11-07
SINCLAIR M|X-UP
Barred BY PARTY
Form Letter Farley Decided
Not to Send Blamed by
Democrats.

A form letter, sprinkled with blank
spaces into which could be dropped
names and words to fit any situation,
was revealed today as the key to the
mystery of Chairman James A. Far
ley's suddenly withdrawn Endorsement
of Upton Sinclair, according to
copyrighted article of the Associated
Press.
The letter, drawn up by the Demo-
cratic National Committee, was to
have been sent to every precinct COM
mitteeman in As States. Only Maine
and Louisiana at first were excepted.
Then suddenly Farley withdrew his
Endorsement of Sinclair as Democratic
candidate for Governor of California.
Thousands of letters In which his
name had been filled in had been
prepared They were left piled on
table in New York Democratic head
quarters.
One letter, however, had escaped.
1t came to light in California, causing
the administration considerable en-
barassment.
Sent All Over u. s.
The heavily blank-spaced key let
ter, 100000 filled and signed copies
of which finally were sent to $4,000
precinct committeeman in As States,
bore across its top, just below the
masthead of the Democratic National
Committee, the terse instruction:
Letter to go to all precinct COM
mitteemen over the signature of
Chairman Farley
A first paragraph was devoted TO
impressing upon the recipient the
need for a sympathetic Congress if
the program of President Roosevelt
was TO succeed.
He must have friends on guard
from top to bottom" it said. Your
work at the polls on November must
be the answer to the critics of the
Roosevelt administration.
The second and third paragraphs
left numerous blanks. each numbered,
and with key at the bottom to in
dicate what should be filled in. The
numbered answers to blanks specified
in every case that the Democratic
nominee for Governor, Senator or
Representative was to be named. Lee
way was left in the Senate blank,
however, for Hiram johnson in Cali
fornia, who carried both the Repub-
lican and Democratic nominations.
Louisiana Omitted.
With the exception of Wisconsin, in
which reference was not made to the
Democratic senatorial candidate who
opposed Senator La Toilette. the Pro-
gressive candidate. these appropriately
flledin letters were sent to all the
States on the list. Maine was. omitted
because 1t had voted: Louisiana, be-
cause the committee is not on letter.
writing terms with Senator Huey
Long.
In mapping the plans. exception was
made for California. The letters were
prepared for that State. Lists of pre-
cinct committeeman for that State
we're arranged. All plans were made
for mailing them.
Before more than a confidential
sample copy had been sent, however,
Farley changed his mind. Orders were
issued that the letters were not 10 be
mailed They were held in New York
headquarters.
Given Out in West.
A California Representative who had
received a sample copy of the letter
asked an official of the Democratic
National Committee for permission to
use the letter. This official. having
been away from Washington when
Farley countermanded his order to
mail the letters, did not know of the
change in plans. He informed the
Representative that the latter was 70
go to all precinct committeeman i'll
California and that it might be used
in any way at all.
Thus, the letter came to light in
California while hundreds of facsimile
copies cluttered up the Office in New
York and lay there unmailed through
the remainder of the campaign. Far
ley and other committee officials
lapsed into an impenetrable silence
in so far as the public was concerned.