Evening star., 1952-07-01
The Political Mill
Tuft Will Be CHALLENGED
At First G. O. P. Session
Eisenhower Forces Pin Hopes
On Amendment Of Rules
BY Gould Lincoln

CHICAGO. July 1.-The Eisenhower
forces plan to challenge those Of Sena.
tor Taft Of Ohio at the very opening
session Of the Republican National Con-
vention. Senator Lodge Of Massachu.
sets. chairman Of the Eisenhower for
President Committee. says so. On the
success or failure of the challenge may
rest the presidential nomination-and,
again according to Senator Lodge, the
presidential election in November.
1t is the purpose of the Massachu-
sets Senator to offer an amendment
to the rules which will govern the tenn
porary organization of the national con-
vention. 1t will provide that no delegates
under contest-even though placed ON
the temporary roll of the national con-
ventlon-shall vote on any question, in
cluding the seating Of contested dele.
gates. This would bar them also from
voting on the election Of q temporary
chairman.
The purpose Of the Lodge proposal
TO amend the rules in this respect is
to prevent the use of some u delegates
under contest-who are expected to
be placed on the temporary roll of the
convention, all Taft delegates. The tenn
porary roll will be made up by the
Republican National Committee. That
committee Is dominated by Taft SUD.
porters. The fear Of the Eisenhower
1orces-a fear which may easily become
certainty-is that the national COM
mittee will decide all these contests in
favor OF the Taft delegates, after hear.
ing the contests argued.
Contention Of Lodge.
Senator Lodges ontention-which il
also that Of Gen. Eisenhower and 50
made clear in the generals Texas speech
lis that 1t is unfair to permit delegates
unoer contest to vote to seat themselves
or 10 seat other delegates under contest.
ana so make them part Of the perma.
nent organization Of the convention.
It would give them chance to vote
against any contests for their seats
which might be brought to the floor of
the convention.
Senator Taft's contention, on the
other hand, is that these delegates
under contest should be permitted to
vote on any question, after they have
been placed on the temporary roll, ex-
cept their own personal eligibility. In
other words, that they could vote for a
temporary chairman-in this case a
strong Taft partisan and manager, WAL
ter S. Hallanan, who has been recon.
mended for the job by the committee
on arrangements Of the convention, and
against candidate proposed by the
Eisenhower group should they put one
forward.
Also they could vote to make the tenn.
porary roll the permanent roll.
This was the program adopted by the
Taft-dominated Republican organiza-
ton at the national convention of 1912.
when President William Howard Taft
was renominated over the angry protests
and charges of a "steal" made by the
supporters Of Col. Theodore Roosevelt.
The Taft delegates then were placed on
the temporary roll, and permitted to
vote.
Procedure I'm 1948.
If the procedure followed at the open
ing Of the 1948 Republican National
Convention is again followed, Senator
Lodge will have an opportunity to offer
his resolution on the, rules Immediately
after the temporary roll, as made up by
the national committee. has been pre-
sented and the chairman Of the ma
tional committee has made his usual ad.
dress. A motion then was made that
the rules of the 1914 national conven-
tion should govern until the permanent
organization Of the convention was
effected. Since q convention cannot go
forward without rules. 1t looks as though
Mr.. Lodge will have his chance.
Senator Lodge is confident that the
convention will support his proposal re-
garding the contested delegates. The
argument of Senator Taft and others Is
that if contested delegates were not all
lowed to vote-after being placed on the
temporary roll by the national commit
tee-the way would be open for many
frivolous contests to be filed and so
prevent the organization Of O conven-
ton. To this Senator Lodge points out
that the date for filing contests passed
June 17-and that the Taft people well
understand that. He argues, too, there
is nothing frivolous about the contests
over the Texas, Louisiana and other
delegations this year.
The Massachusetts, Senator goes fur
ther. He predicts that If the rule Is
not adopted as he proposes. it viii be
an invitation in the future to supporters
of presidential candidates who control
party machinery in the States to elect
delegates by minority votes. on the
theory that they will be seated in the
national conventions.
0ueefione nnd Anewer<