Evening star., 1940-02-05


delegates in IL ~. ,a~ron..
linoiS and Penn
sylvania, whereas in Ohio, Georgia
and Virginia there will be major
controversy.
In Virginia and Georgia the two
Governors are tied into the third
term schemes. In Ohio Senator
Donahey's name is mingled with the
plan, which is to obtain an "unln-
structed" delegation, controlled by
third-termers. In this way the
movement proceeds without the
Presidents apparent consent.
The strategy has brought fire
works in both Virginia and Georgia.
Last week the plan was exposed in
the United States News, magazine
of which this correspondent is the
editor. Gov. Price of Virginia now
has issued a formal denial, stating
that the article was false and
preposterous. This week, therefore,
the magazine publishes the text OF
the correspondence, which shows
that on December 18 Joseph Leib,
founder of Roosevelt-for or-President
clubs in the first pre-conventlon
campaign, wrote a letter to the Vir-
ginia Governor asking him if it was
true that he wanted the Virginia
delegation to the next national con-
vention to exclude Senators Byrd
and Glass nd to have it pledged for
a third term for Mr.. Roosevelt.
Emissary Was Sent.
Gov. Price did not answer the
questions but, instead, said he was
sending an emissary-Martin A.
Hutcheson of Richmond, whom he
described as lone of my best politi-
cal and personal friends" to see Mr..
Leib in Washington. On January
18, 1910. Mr.. Leib wrote to Senator
Glass describing the results of an
agreement which he said had been
reached between Thomas Corcoran
and Mr.. Hutcheson, in which it was
decided that the Virginia delegation
was to be instructed for a third
term for Mr. Roosevelt and if this
was impossible it was to be made
up of delegates "uninstructed' but
friendly to the third term and that
Senators Glass and Byrd of Virginia
were to be excluded from voice in
the delegation.
The Virginia Governor now states
he wants the two Senators to be
members of the delegation, but he
has not yet answered whether he
wants third-term instruction and
why he failed to answer the ques-
ton directed to him on December 18
except by sending an emisSary to
a man described by Virginia leaders
as an utter stranger to the Governor.
However that may be, Virginia
will decide for itself the third-term
issue and so maybe will Georgia,
where Gov. Rivers, White House
favorite, has been hesitating to al
low the State committee to hold
presidential preference primary and
where also the administrations in
f1uence is being eXerted to exclude
Senator George through a delega-
ton hand picked by the Governor.
In order to break this deadlock,
Vice President Garner has now writ
ten to the Governor asking that a
primary be held so that the voters
of the State can express prefer
ence and declaring that he is per-
mitting his own name to be filed.
Draft" Is Under Way.
The repetition of purge" tactics
started in the campaign of 1888
against Senator George of Georgia
and the New Deal and anti-New
Deal cleavages in Virginia has
brought the name of Tommy Cor
coran to the front as the leader of
the draft Roosevelt" movement.
Mr.. Corcoran has never been ac-
tive in politics before but he prob
ably learned a great deal about it in
the 1888 purge campaign and is in
q position now to exercise his talents
with respect to national conven-
tion. Some one, of course, high up
In the administration has to handle
the practical details of draft
movement" and since Tommy Corco-
rams position of influence has al
ways been surrounded with an aura
of power behind the throne, he is
IldJllTdl 1OI IIlc OCCdSlOIl. 1IllS QOtS
not mean that the President has
designated him or encouraged him.
The chances are 100 to l that the
President has never mentioned his
own wishes either to Tommy Corco-
ran or anybody else. He has, on
the other hand, read the newspapers
and he knows that members of his
Cabinet are out making speeches
favoring a third term. The Presi-
dent having failed to squelch such
talk, it is natural for the astute Mr..
Corcoran to feel he is privileged to
line up delegates, especially since the
man who would ordinarily do this
chore-Postmaste General Farley
is known to be against third term,
and unless the President makes
known his wishes before long, is
likely to come out in the open on the
issue.
Meanwhile the Guffey-Lawrence
machine in Pennsylvania and the
Kelly-Nash machine in Illinois,