Evening star., 1952-07-21
Is Stevenson Being Coy or Is He Sincere?

~ Gov. Stevenson'S repeated assertions
that he does not want the nomination
with the growing belief among disin-
terested observers here in Chicago that
he is going to get it?
Is he playing a deliberate game Of
protesting too much? Are his state
ments carefully and precisely phrased
to leave his foot in the door every time
he seems to slam it shut? Is he being
coy?
He did not appear to be coy yeSter-
day afternoon when he earnestly told
the caucus of the Illinois delegation that
"I have no ambition for the nomination.
have no fitness for the office mentally.
temperamentally or physically. ask,
therefore, that you abide by my wishes
not to vote for me-"
Is it cynical to believe that he is
shrewdly adopting pose? Or is it the
greater cyniciSm to believe that no
man in these days and times can sin
cerely try to avoid running for the
presidency Of the United States who.
with equal sincerity, would accept the
nomination If it came to him over his
personal protest?
The Conrad Hilton is full Of candi-
dates. On the goth floor there are head.
quarters for Senator Mcmahon Of Con-
necticut: on the 18th door-and in the
lower regions-are headquarters for
Senator Kerr. On the 18th floor are the
headquarters Of Mr.. Hartman. On the
9th floor are the headquarters for Sena-
tor Russell; on the 3rd floor are head
quarters for Vice President Barkley.
Senator Kefauver has a ballroom on
one Of the lower floors at the Conrad
Hilton. and another headquarters at the
Sherman. Favorite sons are scattered
all over town, and demonstrations have
been staged in the lobby for Gen. Mac
Arthur and for Oscar Ewing. the Amer
ican Medical Associations favorite
something -or- other, along with those Of
other great patriots.
+ h
these demonstrations are being manned
by jealous crews working for men and
Mrs. India Edwards-who are painting
for the job Of being President or Vice
President.
On the 18th floor Of the hotel is the
most unusual headquarters Of all. It
has its buttons, its free soda pop, its
volunteer ladies and young men who
want to be most helpful. In such re-
spects it is like all other headquarters.
But unlike all the others it Is manned
by volunteers working in the interest
OF a man who declines to have any,
thing to do with it, who avoids any
direct or indirect naison with those in
charge Of it.
The headquarters are in charge of
Walter johnson, co-chairman of the
National Stevenson-for-President Com
m1ttee. Last February he said about so
men and women organized the commit
tee. Between that time and last week
the committee received and spent $4,000
in contributions designed to bring Gov.
Stevenson's qualifications as a Demo.
cratic nominee before the American
people. The committee hired one paid
of1lce manager. everybody else is a vol
unteer. Their work began with letters
to every convention delegate. and soon,
according to Mr.. johnson, they were in
active correspondence with q growing
number Of them.
On Wednesday. week ago, the COM
mittee opened its headquarters at the
Conrad Hilton in three rooms. BY Sat-
urday it had expanded to five or six
suites. It collected another $500 in
contributions, it received offers from
more than TOO people who wanted to do
volunteer work. Through yesterday more
than 200 delegates had visited the head
quarters, not to see the candidate, for
he is never there, but to find out what
is going on. Gov. Henry F. Shricker of
Indiana called Mr.. johnson on the tele-
phone to find out if it was true that he
was to nominate Gov. Stevenson. He
was told that several men were under
consideration. but the choice had not
been made. Whoever is chosen, Mr.,
johnson said; it will be kept secret, lest
Gov. Stevenson find out about it and
try to stop the speech.
h
Mr.. johnson is head Of the history de-
partment Of the University Of Chicago
and very engaging fellow. He argues
that 1t is part Of the American tradi-
ton that the desirable situation is
brought about when the Office seeks the
man-though in recent years we have
come to believe that it should be the
other way around. He finds q parallel
Tor Gov. Stevenson's present attitude
in the nomination Of James A. Garfield,
who came to Chicago 72 years ago to
manage the campaign Of Senator Sher-
man Of Ohio. On the 34th ballot Gar
field received II votes.
He had said before he would not be q
candidate. When the II votes were
cast he took to the floor to say: mo man
has right. without the consent Of thu
person voted for to announce that per-
sons name and vote for him in this
convention. Such consent have not
given" Garfield was nominated on the
seth ballot. collapsed in the hall and
was moved to a hotel, to recover. But
he won the election.
The reluctant candidate, Mr.. Jof.lson
insists, can be successful. Mr.. johnson
finds other parallels In history-includ-
ing the nomination and later the elec-
ton Of Franklin Pierce, who had re.
peatedly said he was not candidate.
There can be such thing, Mr.. john
son says, as man whose humility In.