Evening star., 1952-04-20
Voting Interest Turns
To Pennsylvania and
New York Tuesday
By Gould Lincoln

BY Gould Lincoln
New York and Pennsylvania or
Tuesday elect $50 district dele.
gates to the Republican National
Convention, and a similar number
to the Democratic National Con-
vention. They are divided: 80 in
New York. and so in Pennsylvania
Acting all together in either ma.
tional convention these two States
would be poten force in the nom
ination of a presidential candidate
In neither State will these dele.
gates be instructed" and to al
outward intents they will go tt
the national conventions un-
pledged. On the Republican side
of the fence, however, what hap
pens in Tuesdays New York and
Pennsylvania primaries may well
decide whether Gen. Eisenhower or
Senator Taft is to have the G. o. p
nomination.
Republican leaders in New York
foreSee an imposing array of dis
trict delegates favorable to Gen
Eisenhower. Indeed, they expect
now the election of 80 district
delegates ready to go along with
Gov. Dewey and the organization
for Gen. Eisenhower, leaving at
most eight district delegates favor
able to Senator Taft.
County FavOrs Eisenhower.
There is a contest in Erie County
(Buffalo) but the edge is given
Gen. Eisenhower there. And while
eight delegates will be chosen in
Queens regarded as favorable to
Senator Taft. it is within the pos
sibilities that these, too, will be
found voting with the rest of the
delegation when the convention
meets.
Pennsylvania presents more of a
puzzle. There the Republican
leadership is divided with Senator
Duff strongly backing Gen. EiSen-
hover, Senator Martin apparently
inclined to Senator Taft and Gov.
Fine holding the balance of power
Mason Owlett. Republican ma
tional committeeman, while he is
making no statement favoring
either Gen. Eisenhower or Senator
Taft. is believed to incline to 'he
Taft camp. Former Senator
Grundy, still a power in Pennsyl-
vania politics. also is regarded as
favorable to Senator Taft.
It is clear that a great deal de-
pendS upon how Gov. Fine finally
jumps. From authoritative sources
it was learned yesterday that so
far he is apparently riding along
with National Committeeman
Owlett and the Grundy faction.
Roughly, it has been estimated
that Senator Duff will control
10 delegates to the national con-
vention, Mr.. Grundy % and Gov.
Fine 80. Pennsylvania has 10
delegates-at-large to the Republi-
can national convention in addi-
ton to the go District delegates.
The at-large. delegates who will
include the governor, lieutenant
governor, the two Senators, Re-
publican national committeeman
and other leaders, already have
been designated.
General is Best Bet.
The Pennsylvania governor, it
is reported, is anxious to take to
the national convention a State
delegation ready to act in concert
when 1t comes to a presidential
nomination. And Mr.. Owlett is,
1t is said, going along with this
idea. They see Pennsylvania in a
klngmaker role Obviously, if
that idea is carried out and when
the time comes. Gen. Eisenhower
looks to be the best bet, all or
nearly all of Pennsylvania big
delegation will go to the general.
AS of today, however, the Taft
people are claiming go Pennsyl-
vania votes for their candidate on
the first ballot, and only 10 for
Gen. Eisenhower.
An event that may upset these
calculations is the presidential
preferential primary which takes
place in Pennsylvania at the same
time as the election of the dis
tr1ct delegates. This primary is
not binding on the delegates. It
is, however, an expression of pop
ular choice and as such may have
its psychological effect. Gen.
Eisenhower and Harold E. Stas-
sen. former Governor of Mime
sofa and at present President of
the University of Pennsylvania on
leave, are entered in the prefer
ence primary. Senator Taft did
not enter this contest. Pennsyl-
vania Eisenhower supporters say
that Sen. Taft and his hackers
were afraid to meet the test.
Senator Taft has issued a state