Evening star., 1948-06-10
ADA Protests
Exclusion From
d. {. Primary
Henderson TeIeerophs
McGroth, Charging
Arbitrary Action

The Americans for Democratic
Action announced today they
had protested to Democratic Ma
tional Chairman McGrath an
arbitrary" exclusion from the
slate here of four ADA candi-
dates for national Democratic
convention delegate posts from
the District.
A telegram to Chairman McGrath
from Leon Henderson. national
ADA chairman. said "all available
information shows they were ex-
cIuded because ADA supports open
national convention and is not
working for nomination of Presi-
dent Truman"
The telegram also said seven Dis
trict Central Committee candidates
indorsed by ADA had been elm
mated from the slate.
The Democratic Central Com
mittee of the District last night an
nounced a list of those selected by
its Credentials Committee as being
eligible to appear on the official
ballot" of the primary next Monday.
Will Be Told to Back Truman.
The Central Committees an
nouncement said all IL delegates
will have one-half vote each and
will be instructed to vote for Presi-
dent Truman.
Mr.. Henderson's telegram said
the disclosure that "hand-picked
Truman delegation eliminates prop
erly filed ADA candidates" came
after Melvin D. Hildreth, Central
Committee chairman, had given as
surance that ADA candidates would
appear on the ballots.
| Mr.. Hildredth asserted also, Mr..
Henderson wrote, that there would
be no local contest over delegates
and that the ADA people had filed
in accordance with newspaper
vertised instructions.
| Withholding of Names Charged.
The telegram said that subse-
ouently, Mr.. Hildreth and Mrs.
Almira Bramhall, secretary Of the
Central Committee, withheld names
of those on the ballot from ADA
candidates and threatened to keep
them secret until election day Mon
day.
Mr.. Hildredth was out Of town
today, and Mrs. Bramhall could not
be reached for comment.
THE Democratic National Com
mittee must assume responsibility
for procedures which deny funda-
mental rights of candidates for Of
fee and in effect jeopardize free
and open election" Mr.. Henderson
told the Democratic chairman.
Il earnestly hope that you will
not support what appears deliberate
attempt to force people of WASH
ington to vote for President Tru-
man simply because they are de.
prived, by questionable means, OF
their right to exercise free choice"
Reply to Call Is Cited.
An ADA spokesman said Joseph
L. Rauh, jr., one of the four ADA
Endorsed candidates for delegate and
chairman of the ADA National Ex-
ecutive Committee, received this
reply when he called James Fran
els Reilly of the Central Commit
tee to ask why the ADA candidates
had been knocked off" the slate:
You're for an open convention,
aren't you? You're not Truman,
are you?"
The Central Committee candi-
dates announced are:
Mr.. Hildreth, national committee
man, and Mrs. j. Borden Harri-
man, national committeewoman.
Mr.. Hildreth. Mrs. Hartman, Mr..
Reilly, Brig. Gen. Albert l.. Cox,
william L. Houston, John Wattawa,
Mrs. Bramhall, Arthur Clarendon
Smith, Edward Williams. Mrs. Es-
telle Pearce. A. L. Wheeler and
Frank w. Cahill, delegates to the
Philadelphia convention.
Mr.. Reilly, Mrs. Bramhau. Harlan
Wood, Mrs. Eunice Blake Thomas,
Mr.. Cahill, DR.. F. Thomas Evans,
John j. Mcconnell. Clement F. Prel-
Ter, Sam B. Bangnam, Mr.. Houston,
Mr.. Williams, James William Bryan,
0cIl- SOA, OOllil T.. LuilCiioiAi, EAohh
j. O'Connor, Mrs. Pearce, Mr..
Smith. Fred S. Walker. Mr.. Wheeler.
Mr.. Hildreth, Harold v. Boisvert
and Schel S. Hoye, members Of the
Central Committee.
The ADA candidates for dele
gates to the national convention
were, in addition to Mr.. Rauh, TIL
ford E. Dudley. Mrs. Ernest K. Lind
ley and Mrs. Walter Loucheim.
Endorsed by the ADA for member
ship on the Central Committee were
Mrs. Louchheim. Mr.. Rauh, Mr..
Dudley, Mrs. Lindley. James G..
Turner, jr.. Benjamin c. Sigal, Mr..
Preller, Mr.. Walker and Gerhard
Van Arkel.