Evening star., 1940-02-06

all the temporary officials of the
convention, including the keynoter
and temporary chairman, and also
the permanent chairman.
The third-term issue did not come
before the national committee for
consideration, despite the fact that
members from all parts of the coun-
try, in private conversation and
in interviews with the press, ex-
pressed the opinion that President
Roosevelt was the choice of a great
majority of the rank and file Dem
ocrats in their States.
Administration Record Lauded.
Just before adjournment yester-
day the committee adopted a resolu-
ton praising the record made by
the Roosevelt administration and
thanking the President for his great
work "for the party. for the country
and for humanity"
The Democratic decision to let
Mr.. Farley name the convention
date brought from Republican
Chairman John Hamilton a state
ment saying:
Here is a party that has been
in power for seven and one-half
years and yet it apparently does
not know its own mind. 1t must
wait to ascertain what the minority
party proposes to do before it can
even decide when to hold its ma
tional convention.
Can it be that the Democrats
have become so accustomed to dele
eating all governmental powers to
one man that they have lost the
ability in committee assembled to
decide such details p"
Roosevelt Pleased.
President Roosevelt, 1t is UNDER
stood, was we'll pleased when the
committee selected Chicago for the
national convention. He telephoned
Mayor Edward j. Kelly from Hyde
Park Immediately after the result
of the ballot had been announced,
congratulating him upon obtaining
the convention for his city.
Earlier in the day it had been
widely reported that Philadelphia
had the inside track for the con-
vention-as against Chicago and
San Francisco. Chairman Farley
was believed to favor Philadelphia.
When the roll was called, the vote
stood Philadelphia, 36: Chicago, 80;
San Francisco, II, and Houston,
last-minute entry, Z.
But before the results of the bal
loting could be announced Senator
Pat Harrison of Mississippi, sitting
in the committee with proxy,
changed his vote from Houston to
Chicago. Immediately a flock of
other votes, cast for San Francisco
or Houston in the first instance were
changed also to favor Chicago.
When the dust cleared away and
a recapitulation of the vote had been
had, it was found that Chicago had
48 votes; Philadelphia, So; San
Francisco, Z, and Houston, 2. This
gave the convention to Chicago by
a margin of one vote more than was
necessary.
nelly 1uIHCu 1dUlCSs
Chicago's Mayor Kelly turned the
tables in favor of his city by an
nouncing just before the balloting
began that he would match the
money bid of Philadelphia, which
started with a certified check for
$125,0 and was boosted to $50, 900
by Mayor Lamberton and Senator
Guffey of Pennsylvania to cover ex-
penses of an auditorium and q
stadium, etc.
Originally the Chicago Mayor had
declined to make money bid. His
purpose was to avoid jockeying and
showing the bid higher than 1t had
to be, he said later. Anyway, his
strategy worked.
San Francisco had offered a total
of 5000 O00-$50,0 900 raised by the city
and $150,0OO still to be appropriated
by the State Legislature.
A surprise bid of 100000 was
made on behalf of Houston, Tex,
by Jesse Jones, head of the Federal
Lending Agency. But the commit
tee members had no intention of
going to Texas-which is the home
of Vice President Garner, a candi-
date for the presidential nomination.
The Vice President, q vice chair
man of the national committee, sat
all day on the platform beside
Chairman Farley. He was accorded
applause on several occasions but
It was not uproarious.