Evening star., 1935-12-17
COP. CONVENTION
CHOICE HELD WISE
Militant Ohio Spirit Be-
Iieved Ideal Tonic
for Delegates.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Selection of Cleveland for the Re-
publican National Convention hasn't
any particular significance so far as
candidates or platforms are concerned,
but it will provide an atmosphere
somewhat different from Chicago.
Cleveland has Republican mayor
and an unusual figure at that. His
name is Harry Burton, and he is
dark horse who may possibly turn out
to be on the uational ticket, either at
the first or second place.
But the fact Cleveland went Repub-
lican last month and that the Re-
publicans of Ohio have developed
militant spirit, which is reflected in
their confidence that the Buckeye
State will switch from the Democratic
column, may make difference in the
background of the national convention
itself.
Dodge Date Conflicts.
Then there are possible complica-
tions over the date which reveal
Cleveland to have been a wiser choice
than Chicago. If the Republicans had
chosen Chicago, they would have been
compelled to follow whatever date is
set at the December meeting, but, with
respect to Cleveland, they can next
Spring decide to shift the date back
or postpone it as they choose without
feeling that they are in any way in
terfering with the physical arranger
ments for q rival convention in the
same city.
Maybe there's something In super
stition, too. The Republicans lost
when they held their last convention
in Chicago, and they won when they
nominated Mr. Coolidge in 1924 at the
last convention held in Cleveland.
AS to commodious quarters and con-
veniences in the hall Cleveland is
about on par with Chicago-in fact.
| the hotels are even nearer to the
convention hall than to the Chicago
Auditorium. Possibly the boorish at
titude of the galleries in the two last
Chicago conventions was a bit of a
drawback this time, but political COM
mittees like to change convention
cities, anyway, so the picking of Cleve-
land, on the whole, cannot be said
| to have been of any truly national
meaning 1t may have a local infiu-
ence and be helpful to the Ohio Re-
| publicans.
Radio Time Menaced.
When the national conventions
were held in 1923, considerable time
was devoted by the broadcaSting
chains to the proceedings, but it will
be difficult this coming year to give
| so much time because so much of the
program space is devoted to enter
| tainment which may be more desir-
| able to the audiences than convention
! speeches. 1t is not altogether clear
to the politicians whether they would
! gain or lose votes by declining to alb
sorb time during convention week
that is usually devoted to radio pro-
grams.
Long-winded speeches Of the poll
ticians are always interesting to
! certain minority who follow both con-
ventionS closely, whether they are
themselves Republicans or Democrats.
But the average man doesn't like
boresome speeches. He doesn't mind
floor fight or even a close contest
on balloting. That has the atmos-
phere of sporting event, which al
ways takes precedence in national in
terest when it isn't one-sided.
The 1886 conventions of both par
ties are likely to have spectacular
happenings. At Chicago, where the
Democrats probably will go for their
convention, the fight over platform
will bring differing points of view into
a debate that may prove of historic
importance. At the Republican con-
vention. the chances are there will be
| contests on platform as well as on
the nominees. For everything points
to two national conventions in 1886
of extraordinary interest, and Cleve-
land is lucky to have been picked for
the Republican battle
Copyright. 1935)