Evening star., 1952-07-07
Peal Of Organ Fills
Vast Amphitheoter;
Dixie Is Cheered
By NewboId Noyes, Jr.
St1r Sfo3 roYresnondsnt

CHICAGO. July 7.-Some 12,-
900 politicos and spectators de-
scended on the stockyards con-
vention hall today for what they
confidently expect to be one of
the greatest political shows in
history. If the tension that grips
this city is any omen, they will
not be disappointed.
The delegates were the first to
arrive in the blue draped. air.
conditioned hall. AS kickoff time
neared they milled about the floor
of the auditorium, exchanging
greetings and rumors. The gal
leries filled more slowly. but there
was no question that the audience
was on it's way. No one with the
ingenuity to wangle a ticket would
think of missing this one.
Organ music rolled through the
amphitheater, and the strains of
Dixie brought the first whooping
cheers from Southern delegates.
Except for the neat rows of State
standards, only a few candidate
placards were in evidence over the
heads of the crowd. What few
there were, were for Senator Taft.
The Eisenhower hackers were
keeping their Thou Shalt Not
Steal" signs under their seats, but
planned to make good use of them
later in the day.
Floodlights swept the scene as
batteries of television cameras pre-
pared to bring the convention
show to the largest audience TV
ever had.
No Shirt Sleeves Yet.
Perhaps it was the thought of
that drawing room audience-or
maybe the air conditioning had
more to do with it-but this ap-
parently will be no shirt sleeve
convention. Delegates were even
keeping their ties decorously
knotted.
In fact, despite the heat of the
contest, there clearly is determi-
nation on everybody's part to keep
things in order. A policeman,
guarding one of the amphitheater
entrances, pointedly observed
there is no cellar in this building.
There amt gonna be no voice
from the sewer this time" he said,
land you can bet your bottom dol
lar on that"
The District of Columbia dele
CATION had one of the choice posi-
tions in the hall-50 feet or so di-
rectly in front of the speakers
platform.
The convention was late in
getting started. At pm. (EDT)
a half hour after the scheduled
opening, there had yet been no
call to clear the aisles, and dele
gates still milled cheerfully about.
The oldtimers are hard put to
remember a convention like this
one. Perhaps the Democratic con-
vention which nominated Frank
lin D. Roosevelt in 1882 has some
of the elements of drama which
are present here. But for sheer
size and blatant color, this may
well be the most extravagant of
them all.
Some key officials have been
here for a week or more, getting
things started. But the bulk OF
the delegates and other visitors
poured into Chicago yesterday
perhaps 10000 Of them, by un-
official estimates. Most Of them
found theit way, at one time OF
another during the day, to con-
vention headquarters at the Con-
rad Hilton Hotel. and it seemed
as though about half Of Chicago
came with them.
Lobby Is Jammed.
They gave the seams Of thai
giant structure a mercileS.
stretching. They jammed the
lobby and stood in steamins
Queues waiting for elevators. They
swept through the headquarters ol
1.-THE various candidates like horde'
lof lucusts, collecting rumors
Icampaign literature. soft drinks
land enormous Ike and Taft but.
| (See CHICAGO. Page A-5)