Evening star., 1948-06-27
District Democrats
Vote Tomorrow on
Party Delegates
By Choimers M. Roberts


exercise the rare privilege of ex-
pressing their choice for the party's
presidential nomination.
The District primary, once halted
by court action, will take place from
2 to s pm. at seven polling places
shown on the accompanying map.
To vote a person must 60 in person
to one of the polls. declare he is a
Democrat, has lived in the District
for the last two years and does not
vote elsewhere.
The District primary is the next
to last among Democrats through
out the Nation Virginia will name
delegates on Friday. Indications to-
day are that opposition to President
Truman's denomination is subsid-
ing, chiefly for lack of a suitable
alternate candidate.
Eisenhower Group Active.
A write-in campaign by the Vet
Grams for Eisenhower group here
has added spice to the otherwise
uncomplicated local primary. There
is no contest over the IL delegate
positions or the % positions on the
District Democratic Central Com
mlttee.
The ballot will have the name of
President Truman printed on it but
there also will be space to write
in any other choice. The veteran
group is asking that Gen, Eisen-
hower's name be written in. The
general has refused permission to
have his name printed on the bal
lot but he can't prevent a write
IN vote.
If he should top President Tru-
man in the voting, his name will be
presented to the Democratic Ma
tional Convention at Philadelphia
which begins July IL, something
the Truman forces definitely don't
want, unless he publicly declines
the nomination in advance.
Arrest Held Illegal.
A worker for the Veterans for
Eisenhower group was arrested at
Fourteenth and F. streets NV yes
terday afternoon for distributing
Draft Eisenhower" handbills but
police later admitted the arrest was
illegal Meanwhile the man, Jack
Kutner. Al, of 1903 Evarts street
NE, had posted IS pending a
Municipal Court appearance next
Wednesday He was held an hour
in the No. l Precinct lookup before
being released. Mr. Kutner is an
employe of the Amalgamated Cloth
ing Workers Union, he told police.
Headquarters officials looked into
their rule books and discovered
that back in 1941 general order
had been issued, following Su-
preme Court decision, permitting
distribution here of political hand
bills. The high court had ruled
that year that city could not
prevent such distribution. Washing
ton has an ordinance against gen.
Feral handbill distribution.
Maynard Dewitt, director of the
District veterans organization, is
sued a statement later calling the
arrest "a further Illustration of the
obvious need for representative
government in the Nations CAPT.
tai" as well as IAN outright viola
tion of constitutional rights
Sound Truck Also Used.
He pointed out that the veterans
also are using a sound truck to ad-
vance the Draft Eisenhower"
movement, a type of political activ-
ity also specifically upheld by a
Supreme Court decision.
Mr.. Kutner, after his release, went
back to the same corner and fin
ished passing out the rest of his
handbills. The distribution will
continue through Monday, Mr.. De
Witt said
Both the Eisenhower hackers and
the liberal, Communist Amer
leans for Democratic Action have
been asking their members and
other District Democrats to oppose
the unit rule which would bind the
delegationn of IL to the conven-
ton to follow the marjority deci-
sion. Each will have a half vote.
Four of the IL are ADA-backed
candidates who blocked the election
until their names were placed on
the ballot by the regular organiza-
ton. headed by Melvin D. Hildreth.
Six of the % Democratic Central