Evening star., 1948-04-10
The Political Mil
Dewey's Future Hinges +:
On Nebraska Primary
Loss of State Would Arouse Doubt OF
His Ability as Vote. .Getter
: By Gould Lincoln

Loss OF State Would Arouse doubt OF
His Ability as Vote. .Getter
By Gould Lincoln
Nebraskas presidential preferential primary
next Tuesday has, all OF q sudden, taken ON
great importance in the nerve-racking race
for the Republican presidential nomination.
Should Gov. Dewey Of New York, who failed
to win single delegate to the Republican Ma
tonal Convention in Wisconsin's primary, be
defeated in Nebraska, too, he would drop out
OF the leading position for the nomination
with which he has been credited for months
1t would be severe check for the New Yorker
He carried the Nebraska primary in 1910 and
more than $4,000 voters took the trouble to
write In his name in 1914, although he was not
then candidate. 1t would arouse doubt In the
minds Of those party leaders who have con.
sidered Gov. Dewey personally popular with
the people and great vote-getter.
Apparently Gov. Dewey has sensed the seri.
business Of the situation and the need for VIC
tory now. He cancelled his plan to come to
Washington for the annual spring dinner Of
the Gridiron Club in order to remain in Me-
braska, campaigning up to election day. Mr..
Dewey will be the only one Of the principal
contenders-open or otherwise-for the COP
",
Taft of Ohio, former Gov Stassen Of Mime
sofa, Senator vandenberg Of Michigan and
Speaker Martin Of the House will ali attend
the dinner tonight Mr.. Stassen and Senator
Taft, like Gov. Dewey, were campaigning In
Nebraska earlier in the week, and Mr. Stassen
will return for q final broadcast to the voters
Monday.
Desperation" Indicated.
Gov. Deweys decision to remain In Nebraska
was construed by some Of the Republicans here
for the Gridiron dinner as indicating despera-
tion-"something like q quarterback who be-
gins throwing the ball in all directions in the
last few minutes Of . football game" Is one
Of them put 1t.
Wisconsin and Nebraska combined have only
a delegate votes in q Republican National
Convention made up Of 1904 delegates. Their
loss to Gov. Dewey seemingly would make
little difference In the outcome of the ballot
ing for q presidential nominee. But tbs
psychological effect Of a second defeat piled
on top Of another may make 1t extremely
difficult for the New York Governor to pick
up delegates in other primary elections and
in State conventions still to come-and most
Of them are to come.
II Gov. Dewey leads the field-there are
seven entered in the Nebraska primary-and
so wins the contest his stock will mount again
and he will have done much to wipe out
his Wisconsin defeat Gov. Dewey has shown
great strength in the State in the past, carry
ing 1t against the late President Franklin D.
Roosevelt in 1914 by almost 900 votes. It
Is well within the probabilities he will win
there again. And Dewey victory In Nebraska
would have the effect of bringing the stassen
candidacy back to lesser stature, and Of more
or less sinking Senator Taft. The Nebraska
primary is the only primary election in which
the Ohio Senator Is entered, outside Of his
own State.
Dewey Too Confident.
Gov. Dewey has been, perhaps, too confident
in his estimates Of his chances in these two
Midwest States. He did not make any effort
to campaign in Wisconsin until the eleventh
hour and he did not 60 into Nebraska either
until the last minute. In Wisconsin, Mr..
Stassen campaigned for months. He has also
been repeatedly In Nebraska-and Senator
Taft has been there twice. Gov. Dewey was
handicapped in Wisconsin by having the only
strong Republican organization-the Coleman
organization-go all out for Mr.. Stassen. He
Is handicapped in Nebraska because the only
strong Republican organization there, that
headed by Senator Butler, gave its support to
Senator Taft
A Taft victory in Nebraska would give the
Ohioans chances for the nomination . great
boost. It would help to dispel the idea that
Senator Taft Is not q strong vote-getter and
that he could not win II nominated" In
addition, itf would weaken tremendously sena-
tor Taft's strongest opponent Gov. Dewey-ths
man who has to be stopped" II Senator Taft
and other candidates are to have q chance.
The Nebraska primary has been considered
three-cornered race-with Gov. Dewey,
Senator Taft and Mr.. Stsssen all running
strongly. However, there Is much real senti-
ment for Senator Vandenberg OF Michigan
among the voters The other three contenders
are Gen. Douglas Macarthur, whose chances
have been greatly lessened by his failure to
win even q majority Of the delegates in Wis
consin-his home state-ahd Gov. Warren Of
California and Speaker Martin Of Massa-
chllSettx