Evening star., 1940-07-15
Democrats Meet
In. Third.Ternl
Quandary
Roosevelt Choice
Seems Sure, but He
Still Says Nothing
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN,
Star Staff Correspondent.

SI1AAACo, July 1O.-1Ne ZbCn
Democratic National Convention
held its first session here today.
heard Mayor Edward j. Kelly Of
Chicago demand that President
Roosevelt be drafted for a third
term and recessed until tonight
without word yet forthcoming
from the President himself.
The convention was raped to
order by National Chairman James
A. Farley. To all outward intents
and purposes, the convention Is being
run by the regular Democratic or
ganization.
But over in the Blackstone
Hotel, made famous 20 years ago
when, in "smoke-filled" room, Re-
publican bosses picked Warren G..
Harding for the partys presidential
nominee, sits the guiding hand Of
this convention-Secretary of Com
merce Hopkins. Mr.. Hopkins merely
reflects the wishes of the President
himself. 1t is through him, how
ever, that the manipulation Of the
SoilScillOil cues forward.
vast majority of the delegates
are here to renominate President
Roosevelt-make history by giving
for the first time a third term
nomination to a President of the
United States. They are only watt
ing to be told how to go about it.
May Be No Formal Nomination.
The third-term leaders are in
clhed to let nature take it's course,
to just sit tight and let the dele
cations from the various States bal
lot for the President as they have
been instructed to do, when the roll
is first called, without formally
placing the Presidents name be-
fore the convention. If the plan is
reversed, it seems likely Judge John
E. Mack of New York, who twice
before has made nominating
speeches for President Roosevelt,
will be called upon to repeat those
performances.
Meanwhile desperate efforts are
being made by Mr.. Hopkins, Sena-
tor Byrnes of South Carolina. At
torney General jackson and others
OF the directing group to bring about
at least semblance of harmony,
with the anti-third term Democrats
retiring from the field in favor of
the President, who is so overwhelm-
ingly the choice of the convention.
They do not see why Mr.. Farley,
Senator Wheeler and Vice President
Garner and others of the "antis"
should not see the light and join in
their plan to make the draft"
entirely unanimous.
The only lingering doubt about the
Presidents acceptance of a nouina.
ton, IN the minds of the third-term
leaders, will be dispelled If great
harmony and unanimity are shown
here.
Hopkins Power Irks Some.
The anti-third termers, however,
still are embittered. One of the
things that irks them is the fact that
the President apparently has turned
over to Mr.. Hopkins, a former social
worker scarcely known in politics
four years ago, the handling of the
convention.
The Hopkins Byrnes Jackson
group insists that the President not
only will be triumphantly renomi-
mated, but that he will accept and
make the race.
In a press conference shortly be-
fore the opening session Mr.. Far.
ley voiced the opinion that domin-
ates this conventions atmosphere.
He was asked:
DO you anticipate that before
the results of the first ballot are an.
nounced the nomination will be
made unanimous?"
Il think so. yes," replied the Post.
master General.
He thus said that delegates should
have IAN opportunity to express
their viewpoint" on a State-by-
State roll call. But, as in most
national conventions, as soon as q
numerical majority had been rolled
up for one man-in this case Mr..
Roosevelt-the delegates who had
supported others would switch their
support so that the clerk could an.
nounce unanimous nomination.
For his part, Mr.. Farley said, he
favored making the nomination
unanimous. He made clear, how
ever. that he was not releasing his
own delegates prior to that first
roll call and did not attempt to
speak for other contenders.
Farley Has Theme Song.
When Mr.. Farley called the con-
vention to order, literally thousands
Of seats in the galleries and on the
floor of the convention were vacant.
The huge hall was red predomi-
nately in decoration but over all was
the red, white and blue of the
American flag.
A burst of applause ran over the
hall when Mr.. Farley, the inevitable
chewing gum going, came to the
speakers stand and raped with his
gavel. Prom high in the gallery rang
a single shout: I'VE want Roose.
velt!"
Mr.. Farley's grin spread as the
big organ began playing Take Me
Out to the Ball Game-one, two.
three strikes, you're out, that's the
old ball game" The song recalled
recent reports that Mr.. Farley might
soon take position with the New
York Yankees.
As soon as the chairman was able
to get order, the huge gathering
was hushed to listen to a prayer
OF invocation by Archbishop Sam.
uel A. Stritch.
Patriotic Flavor ut All Sessions.
Followed the singing of 1.-The Star.
Spangled Banner" by Phil Regan,
Irish tenor. The program calls for
the singing of the national anthem
at the beginning of each session,
for 1t is planned to give the con.
vention an especially patriotic
flavor.
The opening session was given
over to routine business. The call
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