Evening star., 1942-08-18
Bennett Seen Almost Certain Victor Over Mead
In Fight for GubernutoriuI Nomination
Continued From First Page

however, the New Dealers have
moved heaven and earth to ween
away the Farley-Bennett delegates
On the very eve of the opening of
the convention they have not only
failed to make any appreciable
headyway in this effort but the Far
ley-Bennett forces appear to have
made actual gains in delegate
strength.
Mead Contingent Troubled.
Today. with the convention S
opening in the ST George Hotel IN
Brooklyn only "a hours away, the
Mead headquarters are hot ana
bothered. and the Farley-Bennett
Headquarters are confident. so con-
fident is the latter that predictions
are made that Senator Mead's name
will not be presented to the conVen-
ton. This prediction, however, IS
like a red rag to a bull-the bull
being the Mead manager, Terrence
J, McManus. Mr.. McManus, at a
press conference yesterday after
noon. declared he considered this
prediction from the ENLIGHTENMENT
headquarters IAN outrageous method
of campaigning.
ct have not received from any
source" he continued, "a single sug-
pestion that Senator Mead intends
to withdraw. I would hesitate to be-
lieve that gentlemen of Importance
in the Democratic party would make
the statements they have to me that
Senator Mead is in this fight to stay
lf-they were not true. Furthermore
the Mead forces have just engaged
the entire tower room OF the 81.
George Hotel, and other suites, Tor
the duration of the convention. l
do not believe that they would be so
Machiavellian as to go these lengths
if their candidate was not to be pre-
sented to the convention"
THE issue in this struggle" Mr..
McManus said in reply to a question,
lis the President VS.. Mr.. Farley. l
say that as a citizen and as Demo-
crat, not as chairman of the Mead
ldlllDdlSl SOllllllltuCS.
Brings Issue Into Open.
This brings into the open-from
the Mead side-the often-repeated
and published story that involved IN
this contest over the gubernatorial
nomination is the determination Of
the New Dealers and the President
to crush politically once and for
all Chairman Farley-who only a
couple of years ago was member
of the Presidents cabinet and who
before that, as chairman of the
Democratic National Committee,
had twice managed a victorious
Roosevelt for President campaign.
He split with the President on the
third term issue in 1910 and the
split has grown wider and wider
until now 1t is complete.
Mr.. Farley, as State chairman, has
called a meeting of important DEM
ocratic leaders for tonight at the
Biltmore Hotel, to discuss finally
the questions of nominations to be
made at the convention tomorrow.
A score of them are expected to
attend. Included among them are
Mead supporters, but the majority
will be pro-Bennett. This is the
customary procedure for the Demo-
Gratis before the opening of State
convention.
At that conference the issue of
q gubernatorial candidate may be
definitely settled, or it may go to
a floor fight in the convention, as
the Mead forces insist it will. II
there is any move looking to a
compromise" candidate it may
come at that conference. The Mead
managers say there will be no COM
promise. Mr.. Farley is equally en-
phatic no compromise will be made,
and he adds: There will be nc
COMPROMISE because Mr.. Bennett
will be nominated. Why should we
COMPROMISED"
Mr.. Farley, as the leader of the
Bennett forces, insists that Mr.. Ben
nett has today at least $50 OF the
1014 delegates to the State conven-
ton.
McManus Predicts Majority.
Mr.. McManus, speaking for the
Mead Campaign Committee, declined
to use any figures or to say how
many delegates were for Senator
Mead at this time.
when we get to the floor Of the
convention we will have majority,
he said emphatically. Mr.. McManuS
said, too, that only at late as Satur-
day Senator Mead had told him per-
sonally that he had no intention o.
withdrawing from the race.
The Mead supporters began theil
campaign by saying that Mr.. Ben
nett. if nominated, could not VIII
election as Governor. They have
stuck to that contention. They have
also added the argument that the
nomination Of Mr.. Bennett oVel
Senator Mead, the President
choice in his own home State, woule
be a shocking reputation OF th'
Presidents leadership. ut is in
conceivable" said one of them, "tha
the Farley forces have no apprecla
ton of the tremendous significance
to the Nation and to the enemle
of the Nation that the Presiden
could not carry his own State
meaning the Democratic State con
vention.
Mr.. Farley. on the other hand
insists that Mr.. Bennett is as stronI
a supporter of the Presidents pol
icies, foreign and domestic, as /
Senator Mead. He makes no men
ton whatever Of a struggle betWeei
himself and the President.
Through his acquiescence, Gov
Lehman has been selected as tn
keynote speaker and temporar
chairman of the convention and Ii
Gov. Poletti as chairman of tn
Resolutions Committee. If Mr.. Far
ley has his way, every effort will b
made to make it appear that tn
Roosevelt national administrator
has the fullest Endorsement of tn
State convention. This Will be don
both in the speeches made at tn
convention and in the platforr
o,oic>, tho convention will adOOt