Evening star., 1936-06-28
Field
Is Packed
Solidly.
CLOUDS VANISH
BEFORE SPEECH
President Greeted
by Bedlam of
Masses.
BY JAMES f. CHINN.
Staff Correspondent Of The Star,


PHILADELPHIA, June "a At
least 10000 men. women and chill
dren massed solidly in Philadelphia S
gigantic Franklin Field, thundered
salvos Of deafening approval tonight
as President Roocevelt and Vice Pres
ident Garner accepted the offer of the
New Deal Democrats to be their lead
ers for another four years.
Political history was written at the
ceremonies. Never before had such a
huge crowd viewed the ceremonies as
when the President and vice presi-
Dental nominee agreed to be candi-
dates for the Nations highest Offices.
The setting was as dramatic as 1t
was colorful The thousands packed
in the high. two-tiered stadium looked
down on the President as he delivered
the speech of acceptance. Thousands
of others watched the ceremonies
from seats in the open field.
Stands damned Early.
Despite ever present threats of a
thunderstorm, the stands were jammed
several hours in advance of the
ceremonies. The storm clouds, which
had hovered in the southwest for an
hour or more. disappeared before the
arrival of the President, and the
moon came out in full brilliancy.
Rain, which had fallen intermit-
tently throughout the afternoon, did
drench several thousand of the early
comers.
The demonstration given the Pres
ident created a bedlam in the mas
sive stadium. Cheers, applause and
shouts rang out of the stadium from
the time Of his arrival until he de-
parted from the field.
The frenzied New Deal Democrats
also waved anything they could find
hats, flags and handkerchiefs-and
at intervals during the ceremonies
showered the field with confetti and
torn newspapers.
Many Two Hours Early.
Two hours before the President was
scheduled to accept the nomination
this huge stadium was already one
third filled with the vanguard of a
great army of loyal Democrats ready
to thunder their fealty to the New
Deal and its leader. Many of them
were here for two hours, shelter
ing themselves from intermittent
showers with raincoats, umbrellas and
newspapers.
Aside from the thousands of spec
tators in the stadium, hundreds of
convention delegates were massed out
in the center of the huge field, soaked
from the latest downpour that has
everything drenched. Newspaper men
tried to write graphic descrip-
ton of the scene on water-clogged
typewriters. Telegraph operators be-
side them found it difficult to transmit
the dispatches without shocking their
fingers. The bugs" that they use
had been short-circuited by the water.
The field of the stadium was
laid out to reproduce the scene in the
Philadelphia Municipal Auditorium,
where the Democratic delegates from
all over the United States and its
possessions toiled all week working
out another New Deal program. finally
winding up with the thunderous re-
nomination by acclamation of Presi-
dent Roosevelt and Vice President
Garner to continue as the Democratic
standard bearers.
The State delegations in the field
occupied the same position they did in
the convention hall, with the District
of Columbia, Texas, California and
Arkansas retaining the choice front
1See DESCRIPTIVE. Page s.