Evening star., 1940-06-29

Thursday, the David Lawrence
Willkie camp was nervous. Some
of the principal supporters were
epprehehSive and the inside story
was one of despair and actual de-
featism during the early hours of
the day. Then came Gov. StaSSen
of Minnesota into the fray. He
took charge of the floor manage
ment. He rallied wavering Willkie
delegates. He got keymen into ac-
tion in each delegation and he
issued orders that substituted CO.
hesion for confusion.
That last ballot was dramatic TO
those who knew the fineSse Of what
was going on in the balloting.
Hoover had thrown his strength to
Taft. That was known early in The
evening and it decided Alfred Lam
don to give Kansas to Willkie. The
1886 nominee also had at his side
Representative Joseph Martin, jr.,
Republican leader of the House of
representatives, whose influence
went not only to Massachusetts, but
to other delegations.
Thrust and t0unteftnfuSt.
While the Willkie forces came off
surprisingly we'll on the first two
ballots and regained their conf
dence, the story went around that,
for each big thrust by the Willkie
side, the Taft management had
planned a counterthrust with larger
and larger delegations.
The big contribution by Kansas
was to be offset and was, indeed,
counterbalanced by what Hoover
did with the California votes. The
rise of Taft votes in Illinois and
the biggest threat of all, namely,
that Gov. James would throw his big
Pennsylvania bloc of 70 votes to
Taft, caused the Shivers to run up
and down the backs of the little
group of Willkie managers. They
We're up against as masterful a
strategy as has been seen in a ma
tional convention, a steady build-lup
from the first ballot, willingness
to let Willkie run up and make
some gains but a determination to
match his gains on the final stretch,
which was known to be the fifth
or sixth ballot.
To the everlasting credit of
Thomas E. Dewey and his man
ayers, it must be said they refused
to make a deal and turn their dele
gates over to Taft or anybody else.
Dewey merely released them to go
where they pleased and most of
them turned to Wiilkie because he
appealed to them as progressive
and a colorful candidate, the same
qualities which had attracted them
at the outset to Dewey,
Michigan Blocks Taft.
AS the final ballot was being
taken, the Taft management crept
up on Willkie and would have passed
him but for what the Michigan
delegation did with its 38 votes
About 10 days ago Willkie, in Wash
ington, addressed the National
Press Club and had long talk with
Senator Vandenberg, who said
frankly that if and when his own
chances for the nomination would
appear to be ended, he would not
have the slightest objection if his
delegates went to Willkie. 1t was
not a promise but an evidence of
friendliness which made it easy for
the Willkie men in the Michigan
delegation to come to unanimous
conclusion to cast the whole 38 votes
for Willllie
1t was excellent strategy, too, for
Howard Lawrence of Michigan, the
manager for Vandenberg, to go to
the rostrum to make his announce
ment A little touch of the dra-
matte at that moment was the first
signal that band wagon was start
ing and the men who sit in national
conventions as delegates can usually
spot a band wagon long before the
wheels start rolling on the political
pavementS.
The Michigan onrush dumbfound-
ed the Taft management, but did
not entirely demoralize it. When
the Western States began adding a
few here and there and taking them
away from Taft, it was apparent
that even Pennsylvania big con-
tribution would not help.
The fact should not be overlooked,
incidentally, that New York's break
to Willkie on the fifth ballot was a
striking indication to the West that
Willkie was not only holding his
delegates but actually making sub
stantial gains.
Challenged Unit Votes.
No one man did the whole Job, but
In every delegation the Willkie men
worked like beavers. They often
challenged the vote cast as a unit
by chairmen of delegations under
majority rule and this brought out
the record of who was for or against
Willkie. This was important in view
of the huge number of kilograms and
letters from back home. 1t was a
way of reporting to constituents and
under such bombardment of pub
ncity, the Willkie men made their
gains,
The people back home really won
the fight-they, with their overzeal-
Gus and peremptory letters and
amateurish clamor unparalleled in
the annals of political conventions
For it must be recorded that popu-
lar and able candidate came to a
national convention without a floor
manager or a convention strategy
committee and in few days got
1t going-a task of effective personal
salesmanship which reveals Will
kie's talents as an organizer in a
f1eld hitherto unfamiliar to him.
If he is elected. he may be ex-
pected to employ the same faculty in
winning the support of leaders OF