Evening star., 1948-06-22
Dewey Victory Seen
By Fourth Ballot
Il He Wins al All
Vondenberg Nomination
Only Will Come From
New Workers. Cruck-Up
By David Laurence

PHILADELPHIA, June 22.-Gov
Dewey has more cohesive strength
at this convention than any other
candidate and should win not later
than the fourth ballot If he Is to
win at all.
II there is a crack-up Of Dewey
strength-and only in that conting-
ency-Senator Vandenberg will be
nominated. =.
There is at this writing hardly
any chance that Senator Taft or
Harold Stassen or any of the other
contenders will be in the final run
ming. It's Gov. Dewey or Senator
Vandenberg, with the chances favor
ing the New York Governor because
he Is an avowed candidate, has an
active organization, and is pene-
trating the uncommitted delegations
slowly but surely.
The opposition to Gov. Dewey
does not have cohesion. 1t shows
signs Of weakness that could mean
crumbling in the early ballots.
Vandenberg Enigma.
The Vandenberg enigma is one OF
the most interesting things about
the convention. The Michigan Sem
ator would be pleased to win the
nomination and is available" in
the sense that he will not lift a
finger to get the prize.
Inside the Michigan delegation,
however. they are working like Tro-
jams to line up second-choice
strength throughout all delegations.
The Michigan leaders get no encour-
agement from the Senator, who
seems to be willing to let nature take
its course. If the nomination comes
his way, he will take it solemnly and
do his utmost. If it doesn't, he will
not be disappointed and will sup
port the ticket enthusiastically pro-
vided 1t isn't headed by some dark
horse" of the "isolationist" variety,
which now seems more than ever to
be remote.
Senator Vandenberg is too expert
enced a hand to be coy or clever
about his aloofness. He really means
to let the convention draft him or
pass him by, as it pleases. He is a
world figure and his nomination
would assure victory to the party
but he thinks the Craftsmanship OF
the Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee is very important post. He
looks forward to further service there
under the Republican President that
he believes will be selected by this
convention.
Incidentally, the Michigan Senator
was probably taken aback by the
announcement that a Taft-Stassen
combination had been advocated by
Colonel Mccormick of the Isolation
ist" Chicago Tribune. The move un-
doubtedly was inspired by desire to
satisfy all factions Of the party, but
1t produced in the Dewey camp a
feeling that Mr.. Stassen had removed
himself, for expediency reasons, from
the internationailst side OF the
lineup.
Strategy Of Movement.
All sorts of alliances and COM
binations are made in party con.
yentions based on the pressures OF
individual strategy. At the e mo-
ment it Is apparent that the
strategy had for its object q stalhng
of the bandwagon that might start
FOR Gov. Dewey. Certainly Senator
Vandenberg, who has been bitterly
attacked by the Chicago Tribune,
could not get into the melee on the
side of the Tribune and help to halt
Gov. Dewey's progress. On the con-
trary, Senator Vandenberg, while
remaining neutral as between Sen
ator Taft and Gov. Dewey, Is more
likely TO wind up by helping to swing
Michigan to Gov. Dewey than to a
combination sponsored by Col. NC
Cormick.
But the Michigan delegation IT.
self still feels that their Senator is
a man Of destiny and that the Taft
Dewey deadlock will prevent any
nomination except that OF COM
promise candidate friendly to both
Senator Taft and Gov. Dewey. 1t
can be stated positively that Senator
Vandenberg is the second choice OF
both Gov. Dewey and Senator Taft
but that each still thinks he has a
chance to win for himself.
Unless the nominating speech to
be made by Gov. Kim Sigler OF
Michigan builds up such demand
for Senator Vandenberg as to bring
on the deadlock, it is difficult to see
what political magic can achieve a
victory for the Michigan Senator.
In all probability there will be no
magic but an old-fashioned band
wagon that the delegates watch to
see if Gov. Dewey can increase his
strength on the first three or four
ballots. If he does, it will become
q Dewey bandwagon.
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