The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-04-18
Third Article of a Series)

ASSOCIATED Press Staff Writer
VINO Knew Mr.. Roosevelt for
30 Years.
WASHINGTON, April 16 -RL
Rambling back through 30 years of
memories OF Franklin Roosevelt. I
nave come to the fateful year 1920.
l saw then my first national par
" conventions, at Chicago and San
francisco. l. witnessed the noni-
nation OF Warren Harding, and at
San francisco, my own home town,
l saw Franklin Roosevelt emerge
as national political figure and
vice Presidential nominee.
l think almost everybody at San
FRANCISCO, including Franklin
Roosevelt, knew that the Presiden-
tlal ticket to be named there was
doomed to defeat. But that took
nothing from Franklin Roosevelt s
oellght-not alone in his own pro-
motion to second place rank on the
party's national slate, but in the
business of ticket and platform ma
king.
A demonstration for President
Wilson was in order that day in
San Francisco. It had been nicely
stage-managed. A huge likeness of
the President unrolled behind the
platform at the right moment, and
the convention hall organ and a
big brass band moved the whole
company into the damned aisles
With their state standards.
One by one they went wavering
and jostling around the room. but
the New York standard stood fast.
Some New York delegates, in
Guiding big, young Franklin Roose-
welt, were ardent Wilson men. 9th
ers were not. But what actually
was happening out on the roaring
convention floor was the birth of
the Al Smith-for-President boom.
There was struggling and jostling
around that New York state STAN
dard. AS I popped my head up
through platform hatch that led
to the press work rooms below, l
saw sight that has always re-
manned with me.
Franklin Roosevelt, his face
wreathed in glowing smiles, went
charging into the group of New
Workers, bowled them over, ripped
that standard from its floor socket.
With three Or four lesser and pro-
testing delegation fellows cling.ng
to his arms, be went out into the
aisle to join the parade. The con-
vention din rose to a shriI, steely
sound.
Years later I chatted with Frank
lin Roosevelt about what actually
happened. He told me, chUckling,
that his own share in it was more
or less pre-arranged. 1t had to do
with the fact that the Smith ardents
from New York even then were
counting heavily on him in the long
struggle ahead to get their man
nominated. 1t would take too long
to tell about that now, out I intend
to devote the next article in this
series to it.
When Franklin Roosevelt was
animated for Vice President, he
was not present. With rare excep-
tons, no Presidential or Vice Pres
idential nominee is ever in the
hall when a convention picks him.
Mr.. Roosevelt was at his hotel
downtown. My APP chief told me
to find him and get a statement
even before the vote count was
completed.
What he had to say for publica-
ton is lost to memory now, but off
the record he told me his cam
paign plans. They included myself
if the APP would lend me to him.
That was the birth of the cuff
links club. which was to celebrate
all but one of his birthdays with
him after 1921, when he was strick-
en- with Gripping infantile paraly-
SIS. The only exception was the
January he was at Casablanca, in
French Africa, to proclaim the ''ur1-
conditional Surrender" terms
against Germany and japan. -.
The other men Lewie Howe and
1.-The Boss" planned to draft from
the Washington news front for the
1920 campaign were Steve Early,
not vet back with the APP after his
war service, and Marvin Mcintyre,
who had come into the Roosevelt
fold as a cog in the wartime Navy
news bureau.
The APP had other work in mind
for me just then, and Franklin
Roosevelt understood. -.
After paralysis had struck him
down, he called the staff OF his
unsuccessful campaign to him. l
was called in too. To each OF his
staff he presented pair OF cuff
links engraved with his and their
own initials. Thus I was granted
full membership in that unique In
ner Roosevelt group that was to
get into print soon thereafter at
least once a year at Albany CT
in Washington.
In addition to us three Washing
ton news hounds, the Cuff-Links
Club included several others. Tom
Lynch. old Democratic war-horse
of New York politics and arxent
friend of Franklin Roosevelt, was
one. He was first of the circle tc
die, holding a high Federal posi-
in New York City by Roosevelt ap'
pOintment.