Evening star., 1940-06-22
The Political Mill
6. O. P. Convention Appears Shaping Up
To Cut Loose From Dewey After First Ballot
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

those are the groups that have the
vast majority of votes. For purposes
Of this survey, the Republican voters
canvassed were divided into four
groups as follows: The wealthy and
average-plus, with incomes over
$500; the average, with incomes
between 81 300 and $500; the poor
plus, with incomes between 500 and
$1,000, and the poor and on relief,
with incomes less than 500.
Comparison Of Candidates.
In the first group, the wealthiest,
Dewey has IS per cent, in the second,
so per cent, in the third, ga per cent,
In the fourth, 81 per cent. Willkie,
who stood second to Dewey in the
poll, had % per cent in the first
group, 20 per cent in the second
group, 10 per cent in the third. and
. per cent in the fourth group. Next
to Willkie came Taft, with IA per
cent In the first group, 10 per cent
IN the second and third groups, and
IL per cent in the fourth. Vanden-
berg had IA per cent in the first
group, l3 per cent in the second,
and 10 per cent in the third and
fourth groups. Other candidates,
collectively, had 9 per cent in the
nrst group, 7 in the second, 6 in the
third and 8 per cent in the fourth
group.
If this poll is a correct measure
OF sentiment in these four groups
OF Republican voters divided ac-
cordlng to income-or lack of it
1t appears that Dewey's greatest
strength is among the average and
poor people, while WILKES greatest
strength is among the richest and
his least support is among the least
rich.
So far as the New York delega-
ton to the Republican National
Convention is concerned, Mr..
Sprague, the Dewey manager, in
sists that between So and 10 of the
delegates will stick to Dewey
through thick and thin. There are
90 in the Empire States delegation.
Those who will either vote for
Dewey on the first ballot and leave
him on subsequent ballots, or will
not vote for Dewey at any time,
will be divided among Frank Gam
nett, New York publisher; Wendell
l.. Willkie and Taft, he said. Mr..
Sprague, however, has not given up
hope that if Dewey strength de-
velops in the early balloting, still
more of the New York delegates
will turn to his candidate.
Desertion Strategy Forecast.
The strategy of the Dewey op-
position, engineered, Mr.. Sprague
contends, by Mr.. Simpson, is ex-
emplifled in the case of one New
York delegate who is against a
Dewey nomination. This delegate
intends to vote for Dewey on the
first ballot merely to be able to
leave him on the second, in the hope
this will demonstrate a waning of
Dewey strength.
1t was recalled by Mr.. Spra gue
that When President Roosevelt was
first nominated in Chicago in 1882,
he had the support of only 81 dele
gates from New York and that was
never increased by more than two
or three delegate votes during the
balloting.
An evidence of the drawing power
OF Dewey among the voters is the
perfect willingness of any of the
other candidates for the presidential
nomination to have Dewey for a
vice presidential nominee to run with
them. This does not apply to Will
kie, since they both come from New
York.
Mr.. Dewey is expected to come
to Philadelphia today to take a
hand in the fight for delegate votes.
His decision to come here was in
huenced by the fact that practically
all the other contenders for the
nomination have made plans to be
on the spot. John LORD O'Brian of
New York is to place his name be-
fore the convention.