Evening star., 1952-05-10
The Political Mil
The Political Mill
Warren and Fine Could
Rule @. o. Convention
Governors in Control Of Votes
Of z Ldrgest Delegations
By Gould Lincoln

ny 1VutO IsUSOtU
Two Republican Governors, one Of
them candidate for President and the
other so far uncommitted to any candi-
date, may control the deciding votes in
the coming national convention contest
for the party's presidential nomination.
They are Gov. Warren of California and
Gov. Fine of Pennsylvania. Their State
delegations at the national convention
will each number 70-the two largest
delegations except that of New York.
which has 96.
Gov. Warren's only chance for the
presidential nomination will come if
neither Senator Taft of Ohio nor Gen.
Dwight D. Eisenhower can command q
majority of the 1905 delegates in the
national convention. The California
delegates are to be chosen at primary
June 3. All of them, it is expected. will
be ready to vote for Gov Warren on the
first ballot. How long he can, or will wish,
to hold them no one knows exactly. II
Senator Taft and Gen. Eisenhower are
running neck and neck in conven.
tion strength, the pressure on the Cali
fornians will be terrific. Neither in
many domestic questions nor in foreign
policy does Gov. Warren 60 along with
Senator Taft Nor would he favor the
nomination of the Ohioan. The Cali
fornia Governor. if he so desired, might
make large contribution to Gen. Eisen-
hover. after the ballotting is under way
at the convention by withdrawing and
urging his delegates to 60 to Gen Eisen-
hover. He has with him also six Wis
consin delegates, elected in the primary
in that State, who would 90 to Gen.
Eisenhower in minute, according to
reports.
Gov. Fine Also q Factor.
Gov. Fine, too may vitally affect the
Republican choice for President. He has
no ambitions himself for place on the
national ticket He has believed, how
ever, that the best political interests
OF his State will be served holding the
delegation together-and voting it as a
whole. At strategic moment, the Key
stone State, if his plan is followed NAV
decide the battle. The PENNSYLVANIA
Republicans have on several occasions
played such major part The States
support. announced for Herbert Hoover
on the eve OF the opening Of the national
convention OF 1928, cinched the presiden.
tlal nomination for him. Four years ago.
withdrawal from the presidential race
by favorite-son candidate Senator Mar
tin of Pennsylvania, accompanied by a
declaration in support of Gov. Dewey of
New York. started the band wagon which
gave the New Yorker the nomination.
The fight for Pennsylvania S delegates
has been vigorously waged. Senator
Dun. one Of the earliest advocates of
the nomination Of Gen. Eisenhower. has
stood Staunchly by Gen. Eisenhower In
the Taft camp, however, have been the
adherents of former Senator Joe Grundv
and of Mason Owlett, Republican ma
tlonal committeeman. In between has
been Gov. Fine. with his plan to have
solid delegation capable of dominat-
ing the situation. In the PENNSYLVANIA
preference primary. Gen. Eisenhower
received approximately 1926, 900 votes
and Senator Taft had in the neighbor!
hood Of 10000 write-in votes. Mr..
Taft's name was not on the ballot, for
he did not enter the primary. A real
head-on test between the two men can1e
IN the contests for eight district dele
gates to the national convention in the
Pittsburgh area. Gen. Eisenhower won.
to 2.
Dewey will Figure I'm Showdown.
These demonstrations of Eisenhower
strength among the Pennsylvania Re-
publicans will scarcely fail to be felt
when the time comes to vote In the
convention. The Associated Press poll
of the elected delegates gives 18 to
Senator Taft and 20 to Gen. Eisenhower.
with 80 uncommitted. Gov. Fine, pre-
sumably, could lead the uncommitted
bloc into the Eisenhower camp, If he
chose to do so.
A third Republican Governor, Dewey
of New York. necessarily will play a
tremendous part when the showdown
comes. Gov Dewey. the titular leader Of
the party and twice it's nominee, has
friends in all parts of the country. He
is taking the New York delegation to
Chicago to vote for Gen. Eisenhower,
to whom he has been committed since
1850. He has declared himself emphat-
ically out of this race. That big New
York delegation is an Eisenhower
anchor.