Evening star., 1952-05-15
6. G.0.P.Factions
Active on Eve
of Primary
Taft and Eisenhower
Forces Make Final
Pleas in Hot Fight
By Crosby S. Noyes

Candidates of opposing camps
in the District Republican pri-
mary staged last-minute furry
of campaigning today in prepara-
tion for the opening of the voting
period tomorrow.
Precinct meetings in each Of
the city's 43 election districts start
tomorrow. They will continue
through next Wednesday.
The climax of the hardest
fought campaign in recent WASH
ington history found registered
voters deluged with mail and tele-
phone calls urging their support
for candidates of the Republican
State Committee or candidates of
the local Eisenhower for President
Club.
The contest has taken on the
flavor of Taft Eisenhower show
down. The Ohio Senator has per-
sonally circularized voters in be-
half of the State Committee can
dldates, urging their election as
the best way to help his nominal
tion.
To Serve Four Years.
OF more immediate concern,
however, is the makeup of the
C. o. P. State Committee. Candi-
dates elected at the precinct meet
ingS will serve on the committee
for the next four years. They
will determine the election of 43
additional delegates at large.
Leaders of both factions ex-
pressed confidence today.
Joseph C. McGarraghy, State
Committee chairman said: MY
impression from the precincts
with which we have contacts is
that the State Committee candi-
dates will be elected. as long as we
get out the vote" Mr.. McGar-
raghy emphasized that absentee
or proxy votes cannot be accepted
at the meetings.
In the Eisenhower camp, Robert
E. Mclaughlin, club president and
opposing candidate to Mr.. Nc
Garraghy in Precinct 38 also
issued a cheerful statement. "Of
course nobody would dare to make
a fiat prediction at this point" he
said. But we are very optimistic"
Taft and Eisenhower partisans
have carried on an intensive mail
and telephone campaign. The
State Committee has circularized
each registered voter individually
in favor of their candidates. In
addition. special material was in
the mail today urging the re-elec-
tion of Mr.. McGarraghy and
other State Committee stalwartS.
Formerly Quiet Affairs.
For many years, the State Com
mittee has been closely controlled
by small group of men. In
general, previous primary elec-
tions have been small. quiet af-
fairs, in which the State Com
mittee candidate was unopposed.
This year. a revolt of Eisenhower
supporters has turned out a rec
ord registration of 1879 voters.
State Committee candidates are
expected to be vigorously opposed
in each precinct. The Old Guard
of the District COP is stalking its
political life on the result of the
coming elections.
On the national level. the CEN
tral issue in the primary is
whether to send an instructed or
uninstructed delegation to the
national Republican convention in
July. If the present State Com
mittee stays in the saddle, the
six District delegates will 60 un-
instructed. According to tradition.
they will vote for the presidential
candidate most likely to succeed.
If the Eisenhower faction is sue
cessful, the delegates will go in
structed to vote for Eisenhower
down the line.
Meanwhile, the time and place
of the last precinct meeting was
announced. Precinct 13 will hold
it's meeting at 8 pm. Monday in
the Second Baptist Church, Sec
.,.~l AT