Evening star., 1948-06-23
Dewey Victory Is Seen
Unless BeIated Draft
For Vandenberg Starts
Bond Wagon Could Stort
For New Yorker on the
First or Second BuIIot
By David Laurence

PHILADELPHIA, June 23-Gov
Dewey is assured of the Nomination
unless last-minute draft Of Sena-
tor Vandenberg, now in the making,
gathers momentum and sweeps the
convention.
On a practical basis this is re-
mote contingency and would be a
political miracle For most of the
delegations are committed or are
inclined toward Dewey The New
York Governor, however, actually
does not have a majority, but a
band wagon could start on the sec
ond or third ballot and give him
an early triumph.
All this is predicated on the be-
lief that Senator Vandenberg will
succeed in frustrating his own
nomination. But an amazing situa-
ton has arisen inside the Michigan
delegation where, despite the posi-
tive and unequivocal statements of
Senator Vandenberg that he will
not seek the nomination, group
of untiring admirers are eager to
do the seeking without his consent.
Behind Scenes Struggle.
For several days the struggle be-
hind the scenes to get the Senator
to allow a movement to start in his
behalf has been one Of the sensa-
tional episodes of the convention.
The Michigan Senator has told his
intimates that he means what he
says. He has replied again and
again to their pleadings with the
comment that he is not a candidate
and will not become one, directly
or indirectly. He has answered in
the affirmative the question of what
he would do if drafted. On that
point he says he is available and
will accept, but he also does not see
how he can be drafted and will
not allow anything to be done to
forward such a draft.
The Michigan delegation, on the
other hand, has been considering
steps to be taken to invite the sup
port of all delegations irrespective
of Mr.. Vandenberg's expressed
wishes.
1t may be too late for a draft
movement to materialiZe. 1t would
have the support of the Stassen
delegates in large part and perhaps
also some of the favorite sons,
who might possibly join in the move
ment on the theory that. if Gov.
Dewey is stopped and Senator Van
denberg cannot be nominated. the
convention might turn to one of
their number.
The risk that the Michigan lead
erS take is that at any moment
Senator Vandenberg himself might
statement of plain encouragement.
1t is apparent now that he is sincere
in his unWillingness to seek the
nomination. At the same time, it
is difficult to understand why he
would object to the equally sincere
efforts of some of his admirers to
nominate him.
If the plan materializes. the con-
vention probably will hear of the
draft idea first from Gov. Sigler,
who would place Senator Vanden-
berg's name in nomination.
Only Outside Chance.
To old experienced observers it
would seem impractical to attempt
a stampede of convention in the
last day before the baloting, but
conventions have been stampeded
before on the basis of an argument
made in a nominating speech. 1t all
depends on how uncertain is the!
outcome of the election campaign
itself for the party. This conven-
ton has the win-with-anybody sort
OF spirit, so Gov. Dewey seems as
acceptable as any one else In the
top rank.
There is thus only an outside.
chance that Gov. Dewey's chance OF
victory here may be upset, but, until
an actual nomination is voted, any
thing can happen in a convention.
The plans and speculations and
wishful thinking, therefore, that go
on among the leaders and managers
of the various candidates must be
recorded for whatever significance
they may eventually develop.
At this writing, it's Gov. Dewey
on the third or fourth ballot unless
the belated and long overdue Van
denberg movement really gets
started.
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