Evening star., 1940-06-24
Coalition Considers
Drive to Halt GROWING
WiIIkie Boom
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
Star Staff Correspondent.

Star Staff Correspondent.
PHILADELPHIA, June a.
The Embossed" Republican Ma
tional Convention opened today
as scheduled, the routine busi-
ness Of the initial session cover
ing a seething contest for the
presidential nomination as dele
gates lined up for and against
Wendell L. Willkie of New York,
the power magnate.
Backed by a campaign of adver-
tising that has cost thousands OF
dollars, the fast-fying columns of
the Willkie brigade were straining
every nerve to make it appear that
their candidate is the overwhelm-
ing choice Of the Republican voters.
For the time being in the fierce
strife over the nomination the COM
mon enemy-President Roosevelt
and his New Dealers-were the for
gotten men Of the convention.
More and more it became evident
that the anti-Willkie sentiment
among the delegates is tending to
crystalline in an organization deter
mined to stop the Willkie drive.
Opening Is Late.
The get-together meeting precipi-
tated a modicum of enthusiasm on
the floor as routine business was
transacted. Called to order by Ma
tional Chairman John D. M. Hamil-
ton at 10:30 am. E. S. T., the meet
ing was over in an hour, and the
convention recessed until $3.50 o'clock
tonight when it will hear the key
note address of the conventions
temporary chairman, Gov Harold E.
Stassen of Minnesota.
The opening was half an hour
late, for it took that long for Mr..
Hamilton to obtain order. He asked
the entire audience to rise while it
sang America" It remained stand
ing while the Rev. Albert Joseph
Mccartney, pastor of the Covenant
First Presbyterian Church of Wash
ington, D. c., prayed that a spirit of
charity" preside over the conven-
ton and that it be dedicated anew
upon the altar Of our Nations vel
fare"
The convention then heard an ad-
dress OF welcome by Mayor Lambert
son Of Philadelphia, who said: You
have returned to the city where the
first national convention Of the Re-
publican party was held in 1856. The
Nation needed the Republican party
then. The Republican party saved
the Union. There are many Of us
who feel that the Nation needs the
Republican party even more today,
In order that the American system
Of Government may be saved. There
is a heavy responsibility resting on
your shoulders. You have q great
patriotic duty to perform. May God
give you strength and wisdom In
your deliberations"
Committees Are Named.
The convention rushed through
the routine formalities of approving
the temporary roll Of delegates and
electing temporary officers.
One by one, Mr.. Hamilton recog-
nized a series of delegates who Of
fered the routine motions creating
the various standing committees
on credentials, permanent organi.
cations, rules and order of busi-
ness, and resolutions.
The Resolutions Committee, final
ly formally appointed, got to work
on its final draft of the platform,
on which it has been working for
week. The Credentials Commit
tee will hear the contests from a
half dozen States, already passed
upon by the Republican National
Committee. The Rules Committee
will consider a proposed new rule
designed to cut down representa-
ton in the national convention Of
States and districts in which the
Republican vote is very small-par-
ticularly in the South.
AS the delegates assembled 1t ap-
peared almost that q war of nerves
had hit the G. o. p, engineered by
fast-flying columns of the Willkie-
for President Brigade. The support
ers OF Thomas E. Dewey of New
York, Senator Taft of Ohio, Senator
Vandenberg of Michigan and half a
score Of other active or near -active
candidates, however, were fighting
back.
1t was learned that the Dewey
managers were working out a new
strategy, one of concentrating
everything on the first ballot. This
involved making all possible deals
before the balloting begins, so that.
by combining support obtained in
this way with delegates already
pledged an unexpected and impress
sive showing of strength might be
made and possible rolling snow
ball started. Behind such move
lay the obvious threat that the
pledged delegates might slip away
on later ballots. -.
Baldwin to Second Willkie.
The Wilkie forces, apparently
having reached the conclusion that
1t Is the right time to make q DEM
onstration, prevailed on Gov. Ray
mond E. Baldwin Of Connecticut to
renounce his own favorite son can
didacy and agree to second the
nomination Of Mr.. Willkie. He did
this. amid expressions of gratitude
from Mr.. Willkie himself.
This does not represent q new
gain for the Willkie forces, however,
for the Connecticut delegation had
been favorable for some time to the
president Of the Commonwealth d
Southern Corp. Senator Taft had
(See G. o. p, Page A-3)
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