Evening star., 1936-11-04
NEW DEAL SWEEP
STARTLES CAPITAL
Callers Shocked or JubiIant
at Word of Democratic
Landslide.

n ASt,Aduu ulSlkut lutO lie emo
tional response Of Washingtonians to
the overwhelming Roosevelt landslide
was the reward of IS Star reporters
who manned a battery of information
telephones last night and early today,
handling for q time a record total OF
nearly 1000 calls per hour.
Expressions ranging from shocked
incredulity to intense jubilation rang
in the ears Of the men and women
who handled the special telephone in
formation service as the Roosevelt
tide washed State after State away
from the Landon column.
One woman, hearing that Roosevelt
apparently was running away with q
number of the supposedly certain Re-
publican States, gasped and dropped
the telephone with q clatter which
made the reporter Jump. He heard
loud cheers. The woman picked up
the telephone again and said, apollo
getically: Excuse me; they were
Democrats"
Told that Roosevelt was piling up
commanding lead in Connecticut,
masculine caller replied politely:
I'm sorry, don't think you under
stood me. I am asking about Con.
necticut." He was assured that the
reporter was speaking of Conpecticut.
The caller was obdurate. IT mean
Connecticut" he said, Conn, etc.
Connecticut-how Is Connecticut 60
ing?" He was told again that Roose-
welt was leading in CONN" and the
rest of it. We'll, I'll be darned," he
said. weakly, and hung up.
Hopes for ''TerribIe Upset."
Another caller, a lady, told that
Roosevelt was leading by about two to
one, early in the evening. gasped in
dignantly. II hope" she said, there
will be terrible upset."
One of the information men re-
ceived a call. apparently from q coll
ored woman. She said that she
wanted to vote for Mr.. Roosevelt; that
she was from South Carolina. Her
husband, she said, told her to call up
the Star and find out where to mail
her vote. 1t was then 10 pm.
A whoop of Tarzan-like rejoicing
deafened the ear of another reporter.
MY gosh." the caller yelled, I've
won $40"
One lady caller was very suspicious.
I'm not going to be so sure about
this thing" she said when told Roose-
velt was leading. You may remem-
Der that in 1916 everybody went to bed
thinking Hughes was elected, and
when they woke up it was Wilson who
had won. How do know I won't 60
to sleep and find Landon Is elected?"
One of the telephone crew said that
two callers-he is>sure they we're dif-
ferent persons-reacted identicaliy.
"Ha, ha," they chortled, when is The
Star going to concede the election?"
Will Be GOOD LASER"
A woman who apparently wanted to
make certain she was not sailing un-
der false colors opened her request
for information with the bald state
ment: II am a Republican" She
was told that it apparently was not
an auspicious time for Republicans.
well" she replied, ''Ill be a good
loser"
Told that at the time Roosevelt
was amassing lead in Iowa, a caller
exclaimed in surprise: What! Did
it rain in Iowa today?"
A girlish voice breathed into the
ear of one Of the reporters a sincere
apology for taking up his time-she
knew he must be very, very busy"
Then she went of into a fit of gig
Cling, and many, many minutes were
consumed before she could get set
tied down and communicate her re-
quest.
And so it went, hour after hour-an
unceasing floor of calls which almost
swamped telephone operators and in
formation service from early evening
until long after midnight.
Finally, at am, a man called
for general results. He was told that
both Landon and Hamilton had con-
ceded defeat, and that Roosevelt at
the moment was leading in As States.
well" replied the caller judiciously,
"do you know what think I will do
in that case?"
mo" the reporter replied. II can't
say that I do"
II think that I will say 'Wahoo!'"
THAT" the reporter replied. sounds
like pretty good idea. Suppose you
do that"
"Wahoo!" said the caller, and he
hung up.