Evening star., 1940-04-17

kG. 0.P. Keynoter
Minnesota Governor, 80,
A Gifted Speaker Who
Routed Former-Luborites
~ Stan CORRESPONDENT of The Star.
PHILADELPHIA, April 1.-THE
selection of Gov. Harold E. Stassen
Of Minnesota to deliver the key.
note" speech at the opening of theN
Republican National Convention in
this city June "a was the subject to-
day of much favorable comment by
members of the national committee.
The youthful Governor-he is just
S3 years old-is an outstanding
figure in the revamped Republican
party of the Midwest. With his
leadership, Minnesota was redeemed
from the Farmer-Labor party in
1888. He is speaker of unusual
magnetism. He has no personal
axes to grind-for he is two years
too young to be candidate himself
for the presidential nomination, un-
der the terms of the Constitution.
The selection was made yesterday
at meeting of the Committee on
Arrangements of the Republican
National Committee. It was fol-
lowed Immediately by the choice of
Representative Martin, of Massa-
chusetts to be permanent chairman
OF the national convention. In the
matter of permanent chairman
the committee is only empowered
to recommend" 1t is foregone
conclusion, however, that Mr..
Martin, Republican leader of the
House, will be elected chairman
when the convention gets around to
that bit of business.
Willkie Name Withdrawn.
Mr.. Martin was the only candidate
for permanent chairman brought
forward. Several nominations were
made for keynote speaker, who is
also temporary chairman of the con-
vention in addition to that of Gov.
StasSen. Gov. Bushfield of South
Dakota, Gov. Carr of Colorado and
Wendell Willkie, electric power pres
ident of Indiana and New York,
were all brought forward. Before
the vote was taken, the name of
Mr.. Willkie, who had been proposed
by Republican National Committee
man Kenneth L. Simpson and Re-
publican National CommitteeWoman
Mrs. Ruth Pratt, was withdrawn
National Chairman John Hamil-
ton called attention to the fact that
Mr.. Willkie was being put forward as
q possible nominee for the presi-
dency and that it was not customary
to name q candidate for keynote
speaker of the convention.
Plans were made by the Committee
on Arrangements for the "notifica-
ton" of the candidates selected by
the national convention for Presi-
dent and Vice President at Franklin
Field Immediately after the conven-
ton concludes it's labors.
President Roosevelt broke prece-
dent in 1882 when he flew from
New York to Chicago to receive the
notification of his first presidential
nomination the day after he was
nominated by the Democratic Ma
tional Convention. He followed it
up by going to Philadelphia from
Washington to receive the notiflca-
tion of his second nomination, while
the delegates were still there.
Permits Speedier Getaway.
Members of the Republican Com
mittee are convinced that this is
a much better plan than to postpone
the notification of the nominees of
the convention for several weeks, as
was done in the case of ALT M.
Landon of Kansas and Col. Frank
Knox in 1886. In the first place,
the delegates to the convention
who make the nominations will be
on hand to hear the acceptance
speeches of the nominees. In the
second place, the plan makes it
possible for the national campaign
to swing into action more quickly.
Other convention officers selected
by the Committee on Arrangements
yesterday included Harold w. Ma
son of Vermont, temporary secre-
tary; Lehr Fess of Ohio, son of the
late Senator Simeon D. Fess, parlia-
mentarian, and Vic Mackenzie of
Salem, Oreg., sergeant at arms
Mr.. Mackenzie for the last 10 years
has directed the national sessions
Of the American Legion and knows
how to handle conventions.
George de B. Keim was nominated
for secretary against Mr.. Mason
but was defeated, and former Sena-
tor George Moses of New Hampshire
was put forward for parliamenta-
rian. He, too, was defeated. The
victories of Mason and Fess were
defeats for members of the "Old
Guard"
The committee selected Mrs.
Worthing Scranton of Scranton,
national committeewoman for Penn
sylvania, to act as hostess of the
convention.
Simpson Center of Convention.
Mr.. Simpson, whose job as national
committeeman for New York has
been threatened by the supporters
Of Thomas E. Dewey, was center
Of attraction at the committee meet
ing. The New York district attorney
has the opposition of many organi-
zation" leaders of the party, and
some Of them are members of the
national committee. Mr.. Simpson
did nothing to allay the opposition