Evening star., 1940-03-31
Nebraska
Continued From First Page)

chance of defeating Mr. Dewey a
few weeks ago, the prospect now is
for Vandenberg victory by sub
stantial margin. More impartial OBJ
servers, however, including some of
the delegate candidates, say that the
race will be close and that the edge
Is still with Mr.. Dewey.
Farm Vote Will Decide.
What the farmers do will settle
the matter. and so far there has
been no check on their preference
between the two Republican candi-
dates. Mr. Deweys farm speech
went over we'll at Lincoln, although
the Vandenberg hackers say that,
when analyzed, it meant little to
the farmers. They believe Senator
Vandenberg can give the farmers a
better program.
If Mr.. Dewey wins here it will be
over the opposition of practically IS
per cent of the Republican State
leaders. the members of the State
Central Committee and county
chairmen. They are for Senator
Vandenberg or Senator Taft or for
a free choice at the national con-
vention.
The Vandenberg forces are count
ing, in addition to organization sup
port, on the vote of the German
Americans and several other foreign
groups. The German-American vote
is a large block, estimated some
where between $1,000 and 100000
These voters are favorable to Sem
ator Var 1denberg because of his op-
position to the arms embargo re-
peal in the neutrality bill fight
last fall and inclined to be against
Mr.. Dewey because of his address
on foreign affairs in which he vir-
tually said that the Roosevelt ad-
ministration' foreign policy differed
little from that of the Republicans.
They are counting, too, on the
support of voters who prefer Sena-
tor Taft, who has been in the State
and made a favorable IMPRESSION
and would rather go along with
Senator Vandenberg than vote for
Mr.. Dewey.
On the Dewey side, the New
Workers. friends admit they do not
have the organization with them
But they point out that "organiza-
ton" machinery means much less
in Nebraska than it does in other
States The voters here are ex-
tremely independent.
Dewey in State Twice.
Mr.. Dewey has been in the State
twice, once on his way back from
the West Coast early in February
and again to be the principal speak
er at the founders day. celebra-
ton. the big C. o. P. affair of the
year in Lincoln. He was welcomed
by great crowds as he Travelled across
the State. He had an opportunity
to meet many groups and many in
dividuals on his trips. Senator VAN
denberg, on the other hand, has
refused invitations to come to the
State.
The Dewey forces are relying on
the appeal which Mr.. Dewey's career
as racket buster in New York
has had on the voters in the Middle
West. He is advertised as a modern
Jack the Giant Killer" His back
ers believe they have with them
many of the younger voters, who
feel the appeal of Mr. DeWey's
youth. They believe, also, that they
will have the support of the colored
voters-those of them who 60 into
the Republican primary-because OF
Senator Vandenbergs refusal to
say he approved gag rule to put
the anti-lynching bill through the
Senate.
The Dewey campaigners are hop
Ing. too, for the support of ma
jority of the labor vote.
Unfavorable Dewey Publicity.
The Vandenberg forces, however,
have undertaken to hold Mr.. Dewey
up to the voting public as an arro-
CANT, domineering, upstage young
man. They have been aided in this
by bit of unfortunate publicity,
which resulted from Mr. Dewey's
first visit to the State. While Mr.
Dewey was travelling in a train across
the State, he was pressed for state
ment by two politicians as to
whether he intended to enter the
presidential preferential primary in
Nebraska-he had made no decision
at that time. He replied somewhat
shortly he did not think press
conference was the place to make a
decision on that important matter
At one stop Mr.. Dewey had COM
pleted an address to the crowd and
re-entered his car. The microphone
and the crowd were still there. A.