The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-03-27

..., completed 6
heaVn swing through
five Of the six New England states,
emitting only Rhode Island. My
conclusions rest upon talks with
scores Of politicians, office -holders,
newspapermen and laymen.
HAND. PICKED DELEGATION
U. 8. Senator Sinclair Weeks Is
supposed to have arranged that the
convention delegation from the four
northern states Of this area should
be hand-picked for Mr.. Willkie.
This Is possible because the DOM
tnant politicians In each Of thosG
states are ardently pro-Willkie. Gov
ernor Baldwin Of Connecticut was
supposed to see that q Willkie dele
CATION Is chosen In that state. For
some reason Rhode Island was left
out Of the calculations.
In Maine, former Governor Per-
cival p. Baxter. State Chairman
Lloyd w. Morton, Vice. Chairman
May Chapman and National Com
mitteeman William 8. Mnnel oil are
openly or apparently for Mr.. Wilkie.
Governor Sumner Sewell 10 consid-
cred pro-Dewey. U. s. Senator Owen
Brewster Is for Senator Burton Of
Ohio or some other member Of Con-
gress. The delegation will be I'M
instructed, and on the first ballot
will give about nine votes to Mr..
Willkie to four for others.
Vermont's delegates will be Sc
lected on the personal basis. Gov
ernor william H. Wills will head
1t. He Is ardently pro-Willkie.
National Committeeman Mason.
who Is not for Mr.. Willkie but
seems to lean toward Governor
Dewey, will not be on the delega-
ton. His vice chairman, Mrs. Con-
suelo Bailey. has q large photograph
Of Governor Dewey on her office
desk. Ordinarily she selects the
three women members Of the dele
cation. II Is O fair guess that the
Vermont vote will be split about s
to 3 for Mr.. Willkie.
LEADS IN BAY STATE
Massachusetts IS delegates will
be unpledged and uninstructed.
Governor Leverett Saltonstall,
Senator Weeks, State Chairman
George Rowell, Vice Chairman
Mrs. Addison Green a n d Ma.
tional Committeewoman Mrs. AL
fred B. williams all are explicitly
or implicitly for Mr.. Willkic. The
only delegate-at.large who will
not be for him, probably, viii be
House Minority Leader Joseph
w. Martin, his 1910 national
chairman. It appears likely that
Mr.. Willkie will get most. but
not all, Of the district delegates.
The Connecticut situation is Pc
culiar. Governor Baldwin was
eo-Gloor leader for Mr.. Willkie at
the 1910 convention. Sam Prior.
then national committeeman and
still the states most influential
COP leader, was one Of Mr.. Will
kie's most ardent protagonistS.
But from apparently reliable sources
I learn that neither Of these Is very
keen about Mr.. Willkie this year. 1t
would not amaze close observers II
the states entire 16 votes should go
to Governor Baldwin on the first
ballot and never get around to Mr..
Willkie, who expects most Of them.
DEWEY SCORES
have left New Hampshire ur-
til last because Of the paradox
there. At least Of the II dele
gates elected can be considered pro-
Willkie--includin National Com
mitteeman Robert Burroughs, MI.
wilkes closest friend and most &C
tive supporter in the state-and
Governor Robert Blood. Only two
are pledged to Governor Dewey. Vel
the New York governors cause VOL
q major victory. The reason Is this:
For delegate-at-large there were
II candidates-five pledged to
Dewey. three to Willkie, one to Mac
Arthur, and eight unpledged. The
latter group included most Of the
states best vote-getters. The nine
running on pledges were political
nonentitieS, incapable Of election ex-
cept through the strength Of their
principals.
No Willkie-pledged candidate SUI
mounted this handicap, In spite Of
Mr.. Wilkes active campaign in the
statae. Two Dewey-pledged meD
were elected, although Governor
Dewey had made no campaign. had
disowned all efforts on his behalf.
and had disclaiined even knowing
about the slate pledged to him.
The victory Of two Dewey PLEDGES
under such conditions, in one Of the
states which Mr.. Willkie considered
his strongest, shows a tide Of Dewey
sentiment unsupported by the clos
est observers, which can hardly help
doing more to harm Mr.. Willkie
than the convention votes he won
can do him good.
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