Evening star., 1948-10-25
Truman Opens
Final Bid for
Midwest Vote
Big Demonstration
Arranged by Chicago
Democrats Tonight
By Joseph A. Fox
Stor StaH Correspondent

ABOARD TRUMAN CAM
PAIGN TRAIN, Oct. 25.-Presi-
dent Truman today launched
his final bid for victory on No
vember 2, moving back to the
Midwest on a circuitous route
to New England and New York
that will cut through eight
States with 1856 electoral votes.
He ends his campaign in st.
Louis Saturday night.
In good physical condition after
covering about 10000 miles since
early June when he started battling
"the reactionary Republicans" on
the "nonpolitical" Western tour,
and expressing complete confidence
in the election outcome, Mr. Truman
goes into Chicago for a speech to-
night that will touch of his closing
appeal for support.
He speaks at 10 o'clock in the
Chicago Stadium as the climax of
what is expected to be a noisy and
colorful demonstration arranged by
Cook County Democrats who spent
most of their energy before the
National Convention in trying to
ditch Mr.. Truman in favor of Gen.
Eisenhower-or almost anybody else.
Contrasting PHILOSOPHERS.
Press Secretary Charles G. Ross
said tonight's talk would deal largely
with the contrasting political philos-
ophies of the Democrats and Repub-
licans, and that the President will
discuss what COP victory would
mean-as he sees it.
Tomorrow night he moves over to
Cleveland for another try at Ohio's
Is electoral votes, and then in turn
come major speeches in Boston,
New York, Brooklyn and lastly st.
Louis. In between, there will be
many whistle stop" appearances in
Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Massachu-
sets. Connecticut, Rhode Island
and New York.
From st. Louis, Mr.. Truman goes
home to Independence, where he
will make a get-out- -the-vote talk
next Monday night, election eve.
That afternoon, the Masonic fra
ternity in Kansas City has arranged
q celebration in his honor.
Made Post Convention Gains.
While the President Is cast de-
cidedly in the role of underdog in
his fight to stay in the White House,
he goes into the final stage of the
campaign in much better shape
than seemed possible in the pre-
convention period, when the big idea
of many party leaders was to get
rid of him at any cost.
His intraparty support has picked
up-except in the South, of course
and if surface indications count
for anything, labor is doing a good
job in behalf of the Truman-Bark-
ley ticket, with the CIO and AFL
burying their difference to turn
back the challenge of Gov. Dewey.
The latest evidence of the union
effort was demonstrated Saturday
night in Pittsburgh, where Mr.. Tru-
man drew about 30,000-including
the overfow-to hear him speak at
Hunt Armory, after a parade that
brought out probably 100000 spec
tators. The two big labor groups
had a large share in this demon
stration, which left Truman aides
in a highly optimistic frame Of
mind, despite the signs pointing to
COP victory in Pennsylvania.
Return Engagements.
Mr.. Truman undoubtedly will
swing hard for labor's backing in
these final days, using the Taft
Hartley Act for his whipping boy,
and warning that this is just a por-
tent of things to come If the COP
wins.
Several of his Indiana, Illinois
and Ohio stops, for example, are
important labor centers, and the
way these rate in the Democratic
plan can be gauged by the fact that
Mr.. Truman is playing return en-
gagements in some, including the
Gary steel center where he spends
an hour today en- route to Chicago.
The President left Washington on
his campaign train at $50 o'clock
last night, IA hours after his return
from Pittsburgh.
Mrs. Truman and Miss Margaret
Truman did not make the Penn.
sylvania trip, but are accompanying
the President on the final swing.