Evening star., 1952-07-11
Visit 10 Eisenhower
Softens Up Undecided
Virginia Delegates
By Alex R. Preston
Stor Stoff coFrespondent

CHICAGO. July IA visit to
Gerfs Eisenhower's headquarters
did more than anything else to
soften up Virginia's undecided
delegates to the Republican con-
ventiop.
8 There were only four remaining
Who couldn't make up their mind.
o. wouldn't say how they stood
before today's vote on the presi-
dental nomination. Until yester-
day. there were nine undecided.
From what others in the 23-
man delegation were willing to
say, the score looked like 10 still
for Taft and nine for Eisenhower.
But even among the Ohio Sena-
tors supporters there were those
willing to say they would switch
II it looked like a nomination for
Eisenhower on the first ballot-or
something very close to it.
They're in a good position to
know; Virginia comes mighty low
on the alphabetical roll call of
States.
Hite Welcomes Dalton.
Four Of the five late holdoutS
made known their position before
State Senator Ted Dalton of Rad
ford, who came out for the man
from Abilene during the EiSen-
hover visit yesterday. Only the
day before Senator Dalton had
spurned as "a waste of time" an
invitation from Gov. Sherman
Adams Of New Jersey to see the
general.
Senator Dalton was unanimous
ly chosen new national commit
teeman at Virginia caucus here
Monday. His dropping into the
Eisenhower ranks brought charges
OF double cross. Taft delegates
said he never would have received
unanimous support and probably
wouldn't have been elected COM
mitteeman If they'd known his
position. They were right be-
cause the Virginians came to Chi
cago with a lopsided Taft ma
jority represented.
Bentley Hite, the first delegate
to come out for Gen. Eisenhower,
welcomes Senator Dalton to his
growing list Of delegates as he
would any person with a vote in
his pocket.
But only the day before MIR.
Hite said Senator Dalton had
cooked his goose" by voting with
the Taft faction in the Georgia
delegates contest. Mr.. Hite said
the new national committeeman
failed to recognize an Eisenhower
bandwagon that should be appar-
ent to all. The later they come
the less they will be favored by
the next administration, Mr.. Hite
reasoned.
Proud Of Virginian's Visit.
Senator Dalton's position be-
came known during the visit to
Eisenhower headquarters when he
said:
General, Virginia has been
called the mother of States and
the mother Of Presidents, but she
will be known after November as
the mother of the mother of our
next President"
Gen. Eisenhower replied "I'm
sorry this isn't a big room so ]
could sit right down in the middle
Of you and chin. Any American
who has a group such as this come
in and say hello is q very fortu-
nate American, and I am truly
grateful and proud"
Two Of the delegates got 9
double visit when they were
pushed into a room where the
Maryland delegates were waiting
to pay a similar visit.
Some one showed Gen. Eisen.
hover a newspaper picture o1
himself being patted on the face
by an attractive woman.
The general laughed and said
Eyes, saw that. I hurried right
home and said, now, Mamie
you're gonna see a picture in the
paper" This gave the visitors 9
good laugh.
The delegates. in addition tt
Senator Dalton, who joined the
Eisenhower column are c. P. Gil.
lespie and j. S. Gillespie, both o1
TazeWell. DR.. G. M. Goad of Hills.
vile and Russell L. Davis oI
Rockymount.