Evening star., 1940-08-17
Thousands Pour
Info EIwood for
.Wi||kie Speech
WeH-Wishers Crowd
City for Ceremony
This Afternoon
BY ]. A. O'LEARY,
Star Stan Correspondent.

ELWOOD, Ind, Aug. 17.-Wenden
L. Willkie came home today to the
town in which he grew up 10 find
thousands OF people from the four
corners of the Nation waiting TO
welcome him as the man who will
challenge President Roosevelt's ef-
forts TO break the third-term prece-
dent.
When he took off his Army uni
form 2l years ago, packed his grip
and headed for Akron, Ohio, to
earn his way as a young lawyer, he
left quiet little town of 10000, most
of whom he knew.
AS special train brought him
back today from Rushville, 10
miles away, the Elwood he knew
had been transformed into a surging
mass OF well-wisherS, most of them
from nearby States, but many others
from the Atlantic to the Pacific. He
was due to arrive at 1890 pm.
Tomorrow Elwood again will be
the quiet little town in which Wen
dell Willkie played pranks in the
high school yard and tantalized the
teachers by writing Oh the audito-
rum wall. But today it is enioyina
its roIe as the political crossroads Of
America.
Uppermost in the minds OF these
Willkie pilgrims is the question.
what will he Say?" when he stands
before them in Galloway Park this
afternoon to accept formally the Re-
publican nomination he took by sur
prise from seasoned rivals at Phil
adelphia June 27.
The speech of acceptance will be
the climax of the day, because, not
only the crowd stretched out before
him, bllt millions of others e. honae,
may oecicc f:on v-nst 1e .aNs
r1stner my viii -clloW nim o n,
polls n Nc. cmos'
ia lns r1cs wnicn officially st.tt-
tco4y -.Ir. Wil.1ic Is Tuning against
q President who carried 45 of the
48 States four years ago. And when
he speaks this afternoon they will
expect him 10 show why they should
reverse their decision nov.
Third Term Question Marx.
But the 1910 contest does not rest
alone on the economic issues that
make up the New Deal. EntWined
with the Roosevelt program is the
unknown quantity of third term.
And since there is no precedent to
go by. the big question mark OF
the l940 campaign is what will
happen when the Roosevelt appeal
Is pitted against the tradition that
no President should serve more than
two terms. And this question raises
another: How many Democrats will
switch their 1895 votes rather than
break the tradition?
Early this morning, while the
leading man in this drama waz still
at the home of Mrs. Willkie S mother
in RuShville, the first of long line =
of special trains rolled into ElWood.
Throughout the morning they con-
tinued to arrive.
The schedule listed 63 coach
trains, each estimated to be bring
ing nearly thousand visitors. In
addition. there were many Pullman
trains. Over the highways came a
steady caravan of buses and
countless number of private auto
mobiles from the hamlets of Indians
and surrounding States.
Parking Space i'm Cornfeld.
There was parking space available
for 10000 automobiles in a cleared
cornfield.
The plain buildings and modest
homes of a typical Midwest town
were bedecked in flags and bunting,
and pictures of Wendell Willkie
looked down On the crowds from
lamp-posts and windows.
The martial airs of numerous
bands filled the air, as each arriving
delegation was escorted through the
center of town to tine park. Around
the park and in the front yards of
homes several hundred concession
(See WILLKIE, Page A-6D