Evening star., 1940-06-24
Wi||kie Ground Swell
Gives Jitters 10
Party Delegates
Copper's High Regard
For Candidacy Seen as
Favorable Barometer
By WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE.

Es
PHILADELPHIA, June 24.-Yes-
terdsy was Wendell WILKES field
day. The ground swell for Mr..
Willkie that settled on Philadelphia
came from two directions, down.
town New York. where the black
tie section Of the Republican party
has turned loose all its forces for
him, and also from the prairies,
from the Missouri Valley.
In the last 4S hours, delegates
from 43 States have walked into
the Willkie headquarters pledging
themselves for him. But here's the
catch-not on any particular ballot
and, of course, not in solid delega-
tions. To offset this, delegates from
the Observation-Disclosures. Idaho,
Oregon, Washington, Utah-met
and adopted bitter resolutions
against the Hull reciprocal trade
treaties.
Mr.. Willkie is supposed to be for
the Hull treaties, but his friends
declare he has committed himself
only to the principle of the Hull
treaties and they further declare
President Roosevelt's proposal to
provide for a huge cartel-or a
buying and selling trust for the
Western Hemisphere-puts the Hull
treaties entirely out of the picture
and leaves Mr.. Willkie unhampered
by declaring for the principle of the
reciprocal treaties.
Capper Favorable.
The best barometer of Willkie
weather is that Senator Capper of
Kansas regards Mr.. WILKES can
didacy most favorably.
These two evidences of Mr.. Will
kie's strength, the obvious munifi-
cence of his posters, buttons, flags,
cloth signs and banners in the
town, stemming probably from
Broad street, Wall street and Lower
Broadway, and the widespread pop
ularity Of Mr. Willkie in the crowds
from the West. have produced a
jittery condition here among the
delegates.
Mr. Willkie has delegate friends
in a great majority of the States,
but Republican conventions are no.
toriously immune to ground swells
Delegates to Republican conventions
regard ground swells as evidences
of public clamor rather than public
sentiment And so. in the face of
the dangerous hotel lobby symptom
of the Willkie candidacy. men are
beginning to say now if he does
not win on the fourth ballot his
strength will deteriorate.
Jittery State of Mind.
TWO weeks ago they were saying
that if Thomas E. Dewey doesn't
win on the third ballot he is gone.
These sayings mean nothing def
mite. Mr.. Dewey might last until
a fifth ballot and Mr.. Willkie to
the seventh and still win. But
they indicate a state of mind, a
jittery doubt, and probably as the
Sunday night crowd cleared out of
the lobby the best description Of
the day would be a day of jitters,
with Mr.. Willkie giving Senator
Taft of Ohio and Mr. Dewey more
filters than any one else. and always
in the background is the figure of
Herbert Hoover. who gives them
all jitters. In a deadlock Mr. Hoover
might easily win. He is third choice
of probably more delegates than any
other candidate.
But it will probably be the busi-
ness of former Gov. ALT Landon
and House Minority Leader Martin,
who represent more potent in
fuences in the convention than any
two other men, to see that the
deadlock does not come which will
give Mr.. Hoover his chance. Mr.
Landon's Kansas friends declare he
favors Mr.. Dewey. Many members
of the Kansas delegation would like
to be for Mr.. Willkie, but will not
break with Mr.. Landon to go for
Mr.. Willkie and may not have to-.
And it is more than curious that
Mr.. Willkie and Mr.. Landon agree
on more points that are vital in
the campaign than any other two
Republican leaders.
Nom Committal Plank Studied.
Which brings us to the platform.
A non-committal compromise plat
form plank on foreign relations is
being seriously considered The one
thing which Republican leaders OF
every caste wish more than any,
thing else to avoid is any commit
ment now that will blow the Re-
publican candidate into the water
before the election If conditions in
Europe should change rapidly. The
isolationists are the only ones who
are demanding a platform pledge
that might hand the election over
to Mr.. Roosevelt. They are de-
manding a platform stand which
would declare against war under
any circumstances.
But If Great Britain were a
shambles, if Adolf Hitler were about
to occupy the British possessions in
the West Indies controlling the Pa
mama Canal, a candidate tied hand
and foot on promise not to de-
clare war under any circumstances
unless our own shores were in
vaded would be faced with di-
1emma He would have to de-
nounce his party's platform or con-
sent to the surrender of the Mon
roe Doctrine and control Of the
Panama Canal. So with the rise
of Mr.. Willkie comes triumph in
the platform of the Willkie foreign
policies. which in brief is to con-
tinue aid to the Allies to keep the
war from this hemisphere and
strong position on the Monroe Doc
trine.
In the meantime, the Platform
Committee meeting yesterday after
noon listened to Glenn Frank,
chairman of the Policies Commit
tee set up by the National Com
mittee. His recommendations are
to denounce the New Deal in any
language short of repeal.