Evening star., 1940-04-17
Nice Declares
Maryland Is
For Dewey
Former Governor
Sees No Contest by
Taft in Primary
By G. GOULD LINCOLN,

maryland declared III 6dlClmOro
today that Thomas E. Dewey,
New York district attorney, Is
supported for the presidential
nomination by all factions Of
Republicans in Maryland, and
that he did not expect any con-
test to be made against Mr..
Dewey in the presidential pref
erential primary on May g.
either by Senator Robert A. Taft
or any one else.
Mr. Nice's statement was made in
connection with an announcement
by J. Russell Sprague, Dewey cam
paign manager, that Mr.. Dewey's
name would be entered in the Mary
land primary.
1T has been quite evident for some
time" said Mr. Nice, that the pre-
ponderant political opinion among
Republicans in Maryland favors the
candidacy of Mr.. Dewey. He is sup
ported by all factions in this State.
IL 40 fOAIC plODdDlC WlAl VIC AAV
contest in the State
Taft Delays Decision.
Senator Taft, who was challenged
by the Dewey manager to enter the
Maryland primary along with ANY
other candidate against Mr.. Dewey,
said today he would decide by to-
morrow night whether he would en-
ter the Maryland primary. Should
Senator Taft enter the primary, it
would be the first in which he and
the New Yorker have crossed swords.
Supporters of MI. Taft have claimed
Maryland's 16 delegates to the Re.
publican National Convention.
Senator Taft, however, was pre-.
pared to enter the West Virginia
primary had Dewey done so. His
filing papers were prepared-and
he had virtually invited Dewey
into the contest. The filing date
expired last Sunday night and
Dewey did not enter.
1t was learned today that the
Taft supporters have been looking
into the Maryland situation and
that they claim considerable sup
port for the Ohioan as against
Mr.. Dewey. They would by no
means admit that Senator Taft had
decided not to enter the Maryland
primary if and when Dewey files.
The Ohio Senator said he was
leaving for West Virginia tomorrow
night and he would know by that
| fiv,on NH, of hic vr,N111l ir4
the Maryland primary.
Under the Maryland primary law
all names must be filed Is days be.
fore the primary. The last day for
| filing, therefore, would be Saturday.
The only signature necessary on the
filing papers. however, is that of the
candidate, so there is plenty of time.
The Dewey papers already have been
prepared and it is understood will be
| filed promptly. The candidates are
required to put up s27O for the priv
ilege of filing
Mr.. Nice is candidate for the
| Republican senatorial nomination in
Maryland and running against him
is former Mayor William E. Broen-
ing of Baltimore. Involved in the
contest is fight for control of the
Republican party in the State. Mr..
Nice in the past has been supposed
to be furthering the candidacy of
Senator Taft-but he made no state
ment of such support. His state
ment today regarding the Dewey
| candidacy is his first formal an.
nouncement.
TAFT Reiterates Support.
Galen L. TAFT, former internal
revenue collector in Baltimore and
for years influential in Maryland
Republican politics, several months
ago declared fatty for the nomina-
ton of Mr.. Dewey. He reiterated
his stand in favor of the New Yorker
today and, like Mr.. Nice. expressed
the belief that there would be no
contest in the primary.
The Maryland primary law makes
the result of the presidential prefer
ential primary more advisory than
actually binding. 1t provides that
the Maryland delegation to a ma
tional political convention shall
support the winner of the presiden-
tial primary "as long as that dele
cation thinks he has a chance If
the delegation thought the candi-
date had no chance. it might leave
him at any time. However, it was
predicted today by Maryland Repub-
licans that if Mr.. Dewey-or Sem
ator Taft-should win the primary,
the Maryland delegation would GER
tainly vote for the winner on the
first ballot and probably on more.
| The fact that the primary is ad-
viSory rather than binding may
bring the Taft managers and Sena-
tor Taft to the conclusion it would
be scarcely worth while to enter
this contest when, even if he won,
the delegation might only stay by
Senator Taft for ballot or two.
Senator Taft has uniformly de-
clined to enter any of the presi-
dental primaries-such as Wiscon-
sin, Nebraska and Illinois-saying
he did not have time to make
proper campaign in any of these
States because of his duties in the
Senate. He is entered in the pref
erence primary in Ohio, his home
State, alone. Mr.. Dewey and other
candidates having declined to enter
any State where there is favorite-
son candidate.
Dewey Speeches Awaited.
Mr.. Dewey has not entered Mary
land to campaign up to date. He is
now on tour through the West
and South. His supporters in Mary
land expect him to come there to
deliver some campaign speeches be-
fore the May primary, however.
Senator Taft has visited the State,
speaking at chamber of commerce
meeting and at meeting of Young
Republicans. This was the last part
of February.
In Maryland, if only one candi-
date files in the presidential pref
-erence primary, the voters have