Evening star., 1952-02-28
Eisenhower Leaders
In South Lay Claim
To Electoral Majority

Eisenhower leaders from ii
Southern States, after O con.
ference here Yesterday with sehas
tor Carlson OF Kansas, diFeetef of
the national Eisenhower heads
quarters. predicted that Gen,
Dwight b. Eisenhower will win a
majority OF The 1870 electoral Votes
OF these States, II he IA nominated
for President by the Republicans,
I'm this 1859 election, the
South VIII not be Vetlng PARTISAN,
" viii be VetiRG AyneFleAa,p A
statement issued by the seutheFHs
eFs said "Fhe Southern States
VIII 10 salldly for a Republican
namlneer=priVlded that noInlnee
Is Eisenhower"
At the same time, David q,
INGALLS,, campaign manager for
Senator Taft, issued q statement
saying that the Taft forces were
gratlfied to learn that l0 of the
10 delegates Just named by the
Florida Republican State Central
Committee In Gainesville to rep
resent Florida at the Republican
National Convention are favorable
to Senator Taft, Only one, he said,
Is favorable to another candidate
and one is non-committaI at this
time.
Seen Is Sign OF Strength.
This Is very encouraging and
conclusive evidence of Taft'S wide
strength. said Mr.. ingalls,.
In their statement of Eisen-
hover support in the South, the
leaders from that section said:
Many Southern weekly news
papers-the grassroots newspapers
and many influential dailies have
already declared for Eisenhower
on the Republican ticket. Eisen-
hover clubs have sprung I'D ali
over the South. No other Re-
publican candidate has shown this
sort Of strength in "a years. There
are no graSsroots clubs formed byI
d1ssident Democrats for any other
Republican candidate. The South
ern States no longer seek the
dead-end street of a third party
and are ready for a change-ifI
Eisenhower is nominated.
"Old Guard die-hard leaders I'M
the North are striving In every way
to dominate the Republican Party
machinery In the South. The
people Of the South are de-
termined to throw off this Old
Guard Republican yoke, just as
they are determined to strike off
the fetters Of Trumanism.
Groups Represented.
The groups issuing the state
ment included Claude o. Varda-
man Of Birmingham. chairman of
the Alabama Republican State
Committee. who acted as chair
man Of the meeting yesterday;
Nell E. Trammell Of Birmingham,
Winton M. Blount Of Montgomery,
Ala; r. r. Hudson. jr.. vice presl-
dent and assistant publisher OF
the Montgomery Advertiser: JEFF
Speck. Republican candidate for
governor Of Arkansas IN 1850: Kirk
A. Landon OF Miami. State chair
man OF FLORIDA for Eisenhower;
Ebert p. T'uttle Of Atlanta. Ga,
chairman OF the Fulton County
Republican Committee: John M.
Wisdom Of New Orleans: Bernard
Chill OF jackson, Miss: Hiram
Ward Of Lexington, N. c.; william
A. Kimbel Of Myrtle Beach. q. O.:
John A, pritchett Of Nashville,
Tenn; Alvin II. Lane OF Dallas,
Tex, candidate for governor In
ig4B, and Miss Phyllis Otey Of
Richmond, Vice chairman Of the
Virginia Republican state Central
Committee.
Hldleules Lodge statement.
Mr.. ingalls, fldleuied d states
if1eht listed by Senator Lodge,
Eisenhower campaign inahaeef,
In which Senator Lodge said
there had been an "ubslfge" for
Gen Eisenhower IN The Midwest.
III there has beeh any ubsuFEe,"
said Mr., ingalls," II has probably
been The best kept secret OF The
eaiiipaiahi"
he ais0 took exception 10 a
b6dae statement that Gen, Hiisenz
heWeF's name Al the head OF the
Republican ticket would aid In
eleeting Republican members Of
Congress- Senator Taft, said Mr.,
INGALLS,, was the eheiee Of al
majority OF the Republican mem=
beFs OF the House, as sheWn by
polls, He said that, IN November,
0 poll OF House Republicans
showed, Senator Taft leading Gen,
Eisenhower II to 81, and another
poll in February gave Senator
Taft 81 to 81 for Gen, Eisenhower,
The Republican membership of
the House totals 202, OF whom N
did not vote in the first poll, nor
81 In the second.
Mr.. ingalls, said: "As these
House Republicans face their own
reelection fights in November,
the man they prefer to lead the
Republican ticket is Bob Taft by
o 2 to l margin. Need any more
be said?"