Evening star., 1938-09-15
BY WILL p. KENNEDY,
Star Stan Correspondent.

NEW YORK, Sept. 15-'Its a bat
tie" Jack Dempsey says, between
Chairman OConnor of the House
Rules Committee, seeking renomina-
tion In both the Democratic and Re-
publican primaries and opposed by
the President, and James H. Fay, his
opponent in the Democratic primary,
who carries the Presidents indorse-
ment.
: But Dempsey feels pretty sure that
OConnor, whom he does not know,
will win the decision from the voters
next Tuesday, and Dempsey has many
friends in the 18th congressional dis
! trict, which is about so per cent
poor" Irish. Reports he has received
| from pals in the district show, he
says, that "O'Connor is very popular"
Jack Dempsey is no political seer.
But he knows what he hears.
On the other hand, a preliminary
independent survey indicates that the
President may come nearer to winning
in this Anal vestige Of his campaign
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than ne oiu against Senators Gillette
in Iowa, Cotton Ed" Smith in South
Carolina, Millard Tydings in Maryland
and Walter F. George in Georgia.
Battle Is Begun.
The gauge Of battle between the ad-
ministratioli and Representative
O'Connor was cast when the President
inferred that both Senator Tydings
and O'Connor after giving the New
Deal ip,service In 1896, turned around
and knitted 1t In Congress in 1887 and
'1s3s.' He particularly denounced
Chairman O'Connor as "one Of the
most effective obstructionists in the
lower house" who had labored con-
stantly O tear down New Deal
strength and pickle the New Deal
legislation"
Representative O'Connor's campaign
reply is that he supported all New
Deal legislation except the reorganiza-
ton bill and the court bill. He is
seeking both the Democratic and Re-
publican nomination-and in the Re-
publican primary is opposed by Allen
w. Dulles.
O'Connor will have considerable
support in the Republican primary be-
cause there are many Republicans in
the 18th district who will vote for
him as rebuke to the President. They
also say they fear the personal power
Of President at the head of the most
highly centralized government in
American history, which is spending
billions OF dollars more than it is
collecting in taxes" To his opponent
in the Republican primary. Represent
district, who is ambitious to become
United States Senator, has given un-
stined support urging Republicans not
to vote for O'Connor.
Also q group of prominent Republi-
cans, headed by Representative Bar
ton, has urged all Republicans in the
East Side Manhattan area covered by
the O'Connor district. to vote for
Dolles. In previous campaigns, since
he succeeded the late Representative
w. Bourke Cochran in 1884, Repre-
sentative O'Connor has received con-
siderable support from Republicans
even though he has invariably had a
Republican candidate against him. In
the last presidential election year,
1896, he received 33.082 votes to win
where the present Democratic regis
tratton Is only about 3,100.
Strong Opposition.
In the Democratic primary Mr.
O'Connor is opposed by the man who
almost won the nomination In 1894
and who managed his campaign in
1885 without Democratic opposition.
They are both waging very active cam
paigns, but are appealing to the voters
from different angles. O'Connor's
campaign manager is James J. Nc
Carthy, former assistant United States
Attorney General His main head
quarters Is in the Commodore Hotel,
at Forty second street and Lexington
avenue, adjoining the Grand Central
Station. while Mr.. Fay's principal
headquarters is in the heart of the
district on Third avenue, and much
more accessible to the voters. Fay has
nine local headquarters scattered over
the district and O'Connor has IL.
"A Patriotic Duty"
When Mr.. Fay made his unexpected
showing against O'Connor four years
ago he was practically his own man
ager and secretary and he laughingly
nays that he ran his campaign "out
of his hat" Now he has Maj. William
j. Walsh as his campaign manager,
and his campaign is we'll organized
and well planned He has four sound
trucks from which he addresses street
corner gatherings every night. His
aim Is to reach the people directly,
and to have his campaign grow
steadily in strength with the greatest
drive in the last two days. Street
corner rallies are also being held each
night for Mr.. O'Connor, but he is
engaged principally in addressing in
door gatherings Of Democratic and
social organizations and in radio
broadcasts. An O'Connor torchlight
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another is scheduled for Saturday
night.
Mr.. O'Connor has been in Congress
II years. and since his near defeat in
the primary four years ago by his
present opponent, has progressed from
the status of Just another Congress
man" to national figure as chairman
His campaign literature says it is "a
patriotic duty to re-elect him.
Mr.. Fay was born in the district
and has always lived there. He claims
that Mr.. O'Connor no longer lives
there. but that his permanent resi-
dence is at Bayport, Long Island.
Served in War.
Mr.. Fay enlisted at the age of II in
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