Evening star., 1952-08-01
Byrd Leaves Self
Free toSupport
Eisenhower
Senator Robertson
Joins List of Those
Booking Stevenson
By Alex R. Preston

BY Alex K. Preston
Senator Byrd today adopted q
vait-and-see attitude which would
cave him free to support the Re-
publican ticket of Gen. Eisenhower
Is Senator Robertson joined .
growing list of Virginians in back
ng the Democratic slate of Gov.
"I will noS at this time make q
statement with respect to either
presidential candidate" said Sem
ator Byrd, leader of Virginia's
Democratic organization. I'm the
weeks ahead we may expect clari-
flcation of the views of both can
didates on the many governmental
issues which neither has as yet
Senator Robertson, however. de-
clared: MY conviction that I can
best serve Virginia and the South
ern viewpoint by staying with the
party >. is the same as it was in
1948. I shall, therefore. vote the
straight Democratic ticket next
May Reconvene Convention.
These statements were released
to the press simultaneously. They
came while the possibility still re-
mains that Virginia may recon.
vene its State Democratic Conven.
tion and throw its support to 9TH
ers than last weeks national slate
headed by Gov. Stevenson of Illi-
nois and Senator Sparkman Of
Alabama.
Senator Byrd, the man whose
word could do more than that of
any one else to turn things around
in Virginia. won a smashing VIC
tory for denomination in the pri-
mary two weeks ago.
I'm my campaign for renom-
ination during the primary" he
said, II stood squarely on my
record and this I will continue
Ito do"
Tuck and Battle Silent.
His position was believed to be
pretty much the same as that Of
the two other top leaders in the
State-Gov. Battle and former
Gov. William M. Tuck, State party
chairman, who remained silent
or were unavailable for COM
|ment.
Senator Robertson, like those
who previously came out for the
son-Sparkman ticket, is
Identified closely with the Byrd
organization in the State. Earlier
announcements came from State
Senator Charles r. Fenwick of
Arlington. chairman of the 10th
Congressional District Democratic
Committee; Sidney Kellam Of
Princess Anne County, a 1st dis
trict leader, and from State Sem
lator M. M. Long of Wise, 9th dis
trict nominee for the House.
Senator Robertson listed this
as one of the reasons for his
position:
Second place on the ticket was
offered to the favorite candidate
of the South, Senator Richard
Russell (of Georgia) and then
given to another Southern man,
Senator John Sparkman."
This was contrary to the i'm.
preston held by newsmen in Chi
Icago. Senator Russell was firm
i'm his statements that he would
not consider a vice-presidential
nomination and neither Senator
Robertson nor Senator Russell
could be reached later today for
Qualification of the reported offer.
Leaves for Scamp in Woods"
Senator Robertson's Office re-
ported he had left for a camp
in the woods" after making the
statement. Leeman Anderson.
administrative assistant to Sera-
tor Russell, said Senator Robert
sons statement was correct and
that the Virginian was among
those present when the offer was
made during a convention recess
late Friday afternoon when the
lvice-presidential nominee was
considered.
can honest and able man was
nominated for President who re-
fused to be placed under obliga-
ton either to President Truman
or the CO." Senator Robertson
said. During my brief stay in
Chicago I made a point of asking
some prominent Republican law
yers of that city about Stevenson
and all Of them assured me that
in addition to being absolutely
honest and very able, he was the
Woodrow Wilson type of liberal
who believed in the American
system of private enterprise and
who had demonstrated as Cover
nor of Illinois his firm allegiance
to efficiency and economy in gov
ernment."
Points to '48 Ticket Bolt.
Senator Robertson also declared
that Senator Sparkman "felt so
strongly about the Southern posi-
tion on civil rights legislation that
he bolted the national ticket in
1948."
(Senator Sparkman, accord
ing to the Associated Press,
denied that he was really a
bolter. Senator Robertson ap-
parently referred to the fact
that Alabama was one of four
Southern States that voted for
the States Rights ticket in l948.
Senator Sparkman said that as
a candidate for the Senate he
had sworn to uphold the entire
Alabama Democratic ticket.)
"The civil rights plank in the
1852 platform is less threatening
to the Southern viewpoint than
the 1913 plank" Senator Robert
son said.
"Our Virginia viewpoint on
FEPC also is strengthened by the