Evening star., 1948-04-04
AIexandrians
To Pick 4 70 Run
For orCityCounciI
Democrats Go to Polls
Tuesday to Choose
From II Candidates

TtUiH ~ SuHutOQteS
Alexandria Democrats will 20 to
the polls Tuesday to choose four
nominees from among II candidates
for the city council.
+ While the persons selected in
Tuesdays election must run in the
June general election against any
Republicans or independents who
announce their candidacy, election
in the Democratic primary in Alex
andria usually is tantamount to
election.
Four is the largest number of
councilmen to be elected at once by
all the voters In more than Is years.
Until adoption Of the at-large type
OF government In city-w1de refer
endum last month, not more than
three at-large councilmen were
chosen at a time.
In the prediction campaign all
IL candidates have announced their
support of non-partisan council
elections. school improvements, road
improvements and careful financ-
ing.
Four Run on Slate.
The first major split" among the
candidates came with the announces
ment by four that they were
running as a slate. These men, AL.
bert A. Smoot, Randall j. Hicks.
Arthur Campbell and David B.
Squires, were leaders of the at-largs
movement in the campaign prior to
the referendum. They have denied
that they are Clique" and say
their plan is to work together as
TOUR men pledged to a single pur-
pose-to serve the people of Alex
andria to the best of their abilities 70
Their decision to run as a slate
became the major campaign issue
when new organization, the Vet
erans Committee for Veterans, back.
ed five other candidates, all of whom
were veterans. and announced they
would not back sixth veteran, Mr.,
Hicks, because he was one of the
clique"
The five indorsed by the Veterans
Committee are Leroy Bendhein.
Marshall Beverley, Roy Bragg, John
I. Worthington and Claude Harris.
Addison B. Clohosey, chairman of
the Veterans Committee, last night
declared:
'Ihe voters on Tuesday will decide
whether or not to hand Alexandria
over to any clique. The Veterans
Committee is happy to have in
dorsed and worked for five men
whom the committee feels are the
flVe best qualified to serve on the
council. We are proud that they are
all veterans. but even laying aside
thelr veteran status, these men are
sun the best-qualified candidates"
Mr.. Clohosey said that although
there were only four vacancies on
the council his committee gave equal
ENDORSEMENT to all five! leaving the
fnal decision to the voters.
| Charge Bring Answer.
| The Clique" charge of the Vet
sserans Committee promptly answered
2 1by Messrs. Smoot, Hicks, Squires and
Campbell. They said the new COM
mittee was an old machine under a
new name and Mr.. Smoot later de-
clared that Alexandria Civil and
Police Court Judge James r. Dun
can was the head of that machine,
Mr.. Bendheim later charged that
some walking man" was behind
the four men running as a slate.
he said he thought this man to be
Armstead Boothe or Maurice Ros-
enberg. Mr.. Boothe is Alexandria n
representative in the House of Dele
gates and Mr.. Rosenberg is former
delegate
Other candidates in the race are
Councilman John J. Ewald and
Ernest Mankin, a former council
man. Mr.. Ewald is the only ward
councilman to enter the at-lares
race.
Although the four councilmen
elected will serve the city at large,
voters still must cast their ballots
in the wards in which they ara
registered.
Polls will be open from 8 am. to
6 pm.
Voting places are: First Ward.
precinct A, Armory Hall, 200 block
OF South Royal street; First Ward,
precinct B, City Hall, 100 block of
North Royal street; Second Ward,
George Mason School, 2601 Cam
eron Mills road; Third Ward, No. S
Firehouse. 1910 Cameron street;
Fourth Ward. Friendship Firehouse,
100 Block of South Alfred street:
Fifth Ward, Maury School, Russell
road; Sixth Ward, Mount Vernon
School annex, Mount Vernon ave-
nue.