The Wilmington morning star., 1940-07-27
WASHINGTON
DAYBOOK

WASHINGTON July 26.-Add now-it-can-
be-told stories on the Chicago convention:
The number of times the Roosevelt boom
failed to spark in those first few days of the
convention was something that will haunt his
managers in their nightmares for years to
come-but it shouldn't.
Let's start off with this: at the outset, the
third-term leaders claimed 900 delegates. The
only question was when and how to start the
stampede to give it all the necessary fire and
drama.
The first big demonstration planned was
when Mayor. Edward ]. Kelly of Chicago made
his address. The mayor got in his build-up
1or a big demonstration and what happened?
Nothing.
Why? Because all those hundreds who we're
supposed to be in the galleries to start the tor
nado of cheers hadn't been able to get tickets,
The tickets were in the hands of the national
committee, which was spelled James A. Far
ley. And, as Farley said over and over again,
he was not going to permit any third-term
stampede.
Dear Alben' on SPOT
The second dud missed fire that Tuesday
night when Senator Dear Alben'' Barley
passed along the Presidents announcement
The demonstration was terrific. A few of the
most ardent supporters felt the time was ripe
for suspending the rules, nominating Roosevelt
48 hours ahead of schedule. Florida's Senator
Pepper was going to offer the resolution. And
this time it was Dear Alben'' himself who
put a stop to it.
Why? Because, anti-third termers pulled a
fast one. Warned of what was happening, they
notified Barley that if he entertained Senator
Peppers resolution, they would make a mo-
ton to adjourn. A motion to adjourn, under
convention rules, has right of way, is not de-
batable, is subject to roll call. What would
have happened? The demonstration would have
gone dead.
FDR Has Fun
If Roosevelt hadn't been a President, he
could have been an actor or a playwright.
His sense of dramatic timing would have car
ried him to the top in the theater even faster
than it put him on top in politics.
1t was one OF the boys who stayed behind
in the capital who told me how FDR, that
sultry Tuesday afternoon when the convention
was Laundering, had decided to let 'em have
a shot in the arm, SO to speak.
He greeted his press conference in S h i t
sleeves, cigaret holder pointing to the skies.
Some one said "all in''-the signal for the
press conference to start.
Before any OF the eager scribes could get IN
a word, the President started reading t h a t
seven-page report of the activities of the ma
tional defense commission. He read slowly
those seven closely packed pages. TIL e e
wasn't a scribe who wasn't squirming with de-
ferred anticipation.
Came the end. A question was asked and he
let 'em have it. BANG! Two years or SO of
silence on the THIRD TERM, through more
than 200 press conferences, was to be broken
at last. Then came Thank you, Mr.. Roose-
welt" which is the sign for the press confer
ence to break up. It's a wonder somebody
wasn't killed in that rush for telephones.
Those who could lag behind heard the Presi-
dent laughing uproariously, pounding the arm
of his chair with his hand.
In theatrical %cirles, they would call him the
greatest trouper ever to have lived at l6OO
Pennsylvania avenue. And what performer
could help being delighted when his perform
ance came. off like that? 3