Evening star., 1944-10-24
Rooseyelt's Margin
In 7 Virginia Areas
Expected 10 Shrink
Victory Is Held Certain
For Robertson and Smith;
To Run Ahead Of Ticket
This is the third In a series of
articles coUering a prediction
surrey tn Virginia.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY,
Star Staff Correspondent

Star staff Correspondent
STAUNTON, Va, Oct. 24.-Presi-
dent Roosevelt will undoubtedly
carry the 7th and 9th Congressional
Districts, but with substantial re-
duction in the popular vote he re-
ceived in 1910.
Both Representative Robertson,
seeking reelection in the 7th, and
Representative Smith in the 9th
are sure Of winning, and in each
case polling much larger vote than
the President-although both have
opposition.
Mr.. Roosevelt trailed Wendell
Willkie in four countries in the 7th
District four years ago-Page, Rock
ingham, Shenandoah and Highland,
and nosed out by only 103 votes in
Bath County. He won Madison
County in the 9th District by 46
votes, and conceivably might lose
Arlington County, which he carried
by a scant LOTS votes in 1910, or
Fairfax County, by a smaller num-
Der. This year he faces a real
threat in both districts because
many staunch Democrats have in
dicated that they will support the
party nominees for Congress, but
will not vote for Roosevelt and q
fourth term"
Robertson Seen Winner.
While Republican forecasters say
tina Representative Robertson
stands on the list of Virginia mem
bers Of Congress listed for defeat
(No. l being Representative Flan-
nagan in the 9th District, and
though he is likely to lose four
counties - Shenandoah, Rocking
ham, Page and Bath he Is not
likely to be defeated.
In the 1910 Presidential election,
Mr.. Robertson easily led the ticket
with 26,233 votes, while Mr. Roose-
velt received 24,o23. Mr.. Robertson's
closest competition in a three-man
contest received only 1886. In the
1912 election he made a clean sweep
with 1921 votes, with scattering of
only "a against him.
The seventh district leads all in
the State in the number of appilca-
tions for soldiers ballots-l1,O ,O0l, and
of these 3,739 have already been
received.
Mr.. Robertson's Republican OPP
ponent is D. Wampler Earman,
Harrisonburg. highly respected and
active in this campaign. He will
undoubtedly receive a strong COM
plimentary vote in four counties but
Mr.. Robertson is to be counted a
sure winner.
| Smith Victory Certain.
Although a large increase in
transient population is found in
Alexandria City, Arlington and Fair
TAX counties in the eighth district,
Mr.. Smith is certain to be reelected.
He has never been seriously threat
ened in "A years of service in
Congress.
). This time, Mr.. Smith has three
active opponents, one Of whom,
Clarke T. Robb is again the oAacial
Socialist candidate. The other two
are not party nominees. THE re-
publicans did not think it worth
while to put in a candidate and
Lawrence Michael, Arlington, is run
ming as an Independent Republican,
and Elizabeth Chiffon Murray, Fair
fax, as an Independent Democrat.
Mr.. Michael has long been a resi-
dent of the county. Mrs. Murray, a
daughter of the late Senator William
E. Chiffon of West Virginia.
The biggest campaign problem in
the 9th District is how the large new
population will vote. In Arlington
there are over 1000 new registrations
and in Alexandria about 1,500.
In the 9th District, 3,73e soldier
votes have already been received.
A feature of the canvass in the
9th District is that in spite of the
heavy population influx, the Presi-
dent is going to lose many votes.
The Republicans claim they have
been assured by many Democrats
that they will vote for Gov. Thomas
E. Dewey and there are many more
who declare they will vote for DEM
ocratic congressional candidates but
not for the President.