Evening star., 1948-05-30
Can q Keynoter Nominate Himself?
Record Is impressive
in Both Law and
Politics


manship to become the floor man
ager of any Of the presidential
candidates, as did Mr.. Stassen, who
was keynote speaker and temporary
chairman of the Republican Ma
tional Convention in 1910. Mr..
Stassen went to work for Wendell
Il. Willkie and helped bring about
his nomination. The Minnesotan
was Governor Of his State at that
Ftime-but too young to become a
candidate either for a presidential
or vice presidential nomination. Mr..
Green, who is 81, Is in a different
position. He is well past the 35-
year age requisite for a President OF
the United States.
The Illinois Governor has long
been a personal friend OF Gov.
Dewey. A report was published last
summer that the New Yorker had
offered Green the vice presidential
nomination for his support for a
Dewey presidential nomination. The
report was fatty denied, and it was
suggested at the time it had been
circulated to embarrass Gov. Dewey,
and perhaps Mr.. Green himself. 1t
lis certain, however, that Gov. Green
has consulted all the important
presidential candidate camps -
Taft's, Dewey's, Stassen's and so on,
regarding the keynote speech he is
to make at the Philadelphia con-
vention. Mr.. Green has, in addi-
ton, spent several days in Wash
ington going over the issues care
fully with leading Republican men,
bers of Congress. The speech will,
it is said, be forward looking doc
ument when it is completed, en-
bodying policies on which Repub-
licans generally can agree.
No Back.Slapper
Mr.. Green himself, in past
speeches and interviews, has assailed
the handling of foreign affairs by
the Truman administration. refer
ring to the United Nations as an
impotent debating society, and as a
dismal failure. He has not turned
his back on American aid to war
torn Europe, but has cautioned that
American resources, while vast, are
not unlimited.
In appearance the Illinois Cover
nor is decidedly prepossessing. He
has an athletic build, prematurely
gray hair and ruddy complexion and
is always well groomed. He is no
black-slapper, but is q good mixer
and has many friends. A hard
worker. he frequently stays on the
job-either in Springfield or Chicago
until the early hours of the morn
ing.
During his administration Illinois
has been redistricted for congress
sional elections, the first time since
1901. Seven earlier Governors had
tried their hand at getting a redis-
tricting law passed and failed. The
situation had become utterly ridicu-
lous-with one congressional district
containing about 1,o0o,o 900 people and
another only 10000. The State has
26 congressional districts under the
new law. Thirteen of the districts
are in Chicago and Cook County
and 13 are "down-State."
The finances Of the State, under
Mr.. Green's administration, are in
excellent shape. At the same time
he has done much, in cooperation
with the Legislature, to build up
State institutions, including mental
hospitals, teachers colleges and the
University of Illinois. He has been
successful, too, in putting through a
liberal cash bonus for veterans OF
World War II.
No Governor of Illinois has been
elected for three consecutive terms
If Mr.. Green wins next November
he will have established a record
The prospects for Republican VIC
tory in the State are excellent. Fol
the first time in years the Republi-
cans polled more votes in April
primary elections than did the Dem
ocrats. Illinois, with its big vote ir
the electoral college, Is key State
in any presidential election. De-
cidedly, should his political fortunes
take Gov. Green out OF the guber-
material contest and place him or
the Republican national ticket, he
would be helpful in carrying this
great Midwestern State for the COP
| zone of a Series OF Presidential
pneeihi1jfioe