St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1952-07-04
Political Fever
Grips Chicago As
COP Guthers

. Chicago (ANP)- Convention
fever is running rampant in the
Windy" city in anticipation of
the Republican party National
Convention which opens for one
week July 7.
Press agents and campaign
managers of the various aspirants
for the presidency on the Repub-
lican ticket already have arrived
here and are busy whooping it up
for their respective candidates.
Among the first to arrive was
Sen. Henry Cabot Lodge (R.
Mass), campaign manager for
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower who
in a press conference at the Con-
rad Hilton hotel, site Of the Ma
tional Republican headquarters,
declared the zig" was up for
sen. ROBERT TART, EISENHOWER s
chief opponent.
He gave as his reason for say
ing this the fact that a survey
conducted by his aids disclosed
that his candidate could muster
some 500 delegates for the first
ballot and would be able to obtain
the rest on the second or third
ballot.
Lodges statement on the num-
Der of pledges for Eisenhower
differed from those issued by a
news service organization, which
showed 405 delegates committed
for Eisenhower and 4s3 for Taft.
A candidate needs 6O4 to be nom
mated.
Lodge Claims 500 Delegates
However, nothing Sen. Lodge
said added to Eisenhowers pop
ularity among Negroes. In an
swer to a question on whether or
not the general had changed his
stand on civil rights since his in
itial press conference in Abilene,
Kans., the senator said the Cen
eral had not indicated he had.
At that time Gen. Eisenhower
stated that he was in favor of the
states handling FEPC legislation
Sen. Lodge pointed out that
while his candidate favored the
state dealing with this problem
the general had stated that he
favored the federal government
stepping in where states failed to
act.
Many Negroes are not in favor
of leaving FEPC legislation to the
states alone; they have lost con-
fidence in states intentions along
this line. This lack of confidence
in the ability of the states to han
die the FEPC problem is support
ed by knowledge that legislation
has failed to pass various state
legislatures during the past few
years.
White Attacks Taft & Ike
Meanwhile, Walter White, ex-
ecutive secretary for the NAACP,
on the eve of the 43rd annual con-
vention of the NAACP in Okla
homa City accused both Gen.
Eisenhower and Sen. Robert Taft
of hedging on civil rights.
White said that both Republi-
can candidates would leave the
issue of FEPC to the states to de-
eide. He pointed out that the
political convention must take a
stand on civil rights, and added
that he thought that colored per-
sons viii search for civil
rights plank in the party plat
! form.
Taft forces, under pressure from
Negro leaders in Illinois, have
named a Negro delegate-at-large
to the national convention. Col
ored politicians had threatened to
fight it out on the floor on
grounds that the party was
swayed by racial bias If no color
ed person was appointed. The
delegate-at-large is Euclid B.
Taylor, Chicago attorney.
Prior to the selection of a can.
didate. the Republican convention
probably will have to settle the
hot" issue of a temporary chair.
man. Sen. Lodge has indicated
that his group may challenge the
selection of Walter Hallanan, a
Taft man, as the convention
temporary chairman. Sen. Lodge
said he thought the Craftsmanship
should go to an impartial party as
in the past.
Mrs. Howard For Ike
Another reason for Sen.
Lodges confidence that his can
didate will win the nomination
was an announcement by Mrs.
Charles p. Howard. of Boston,
secretary Of both the COP Ma