Evening star., 1952-07-12

OUT 70 DC the goat Oh the con-
vention. moved to bar televisior
from covering the National Com.
mittee hearings on the contested
States. Y
He was backed up so to 10
the same Taft-dominated vote by
which most Of the contests were
decided.
This is the week that all the
delegates are home." an Eisen-
hover man commented.
"You have everybody IN the
country interested in the conven-
tion. and the Taft people slam
the door in their face by shutting
off TV."
TV commentators and radiomen
complained bitterly. I'VE just sal
back and let them fight our fight, .
IAN Eisenhower man commented.
The Eisenhower people had their
issue: "The Taft people were try
ing to rig the convention. They
were operating in secret. They
were trying to steam roller the
convention"
Amendment Worked Out.
In Texas the Eisenhower gov
Iernors were at work. Mr.. Brown
lell worked out the ''fair play
amendment and telephoned its
lhighlights to Houston.
There the key men went to work
and signed up every Republican
governor there's Of them. The
two missing State leaders, Gov
Fine Of Pennsylvania and Nc
!Keldin Of Maryland. later signed
In Denver, Gen. Eisenhower
talked fair play and said he would
make no deals for the nomination.
The general needed this shot in
the arm.
His Abilene appearance had
Topped. The delegates Coward
whom the Eisenhower strategists
aimed all their fire) wanted to
hear fighting speeches, and Eisen-
hover wasn't delivering.
In Detroit he threw away his
prepared speech and started tc
lSlug.. He went to Dallas (home
Of the Texas steaD and got tough
On the mo deal" pledge he roared
out Of Denver across the prairies
ito Chicago.
Each move was carefully staged
to drain every bit of benefit from
the "fair play" issue.
Committee Grinds Out Decisions
Meanwhile. the National Com
mittee was grinding out its deci-
sions. still by the 60-to-40 margin
with few minor variations, still
behind locked doors.
At the last minute, Friday. July
4, Senator Taft came up with a
compromise: He'd give Gen. Els
enhower 16 Texas delegates.
The Eisenhower forces were pre-
pared for this. as they were for
every action in the convention.
A special teletype linked the
18th floor headquarters in the
Conrad Hilton Hotel with the Els
enhower Office at the Interna-
tional Amphitheater. Press re-
leases were prepared In advance.
ready for release on a signal.
The releases were deliberately
kept short-to encourage TV and
radio to read them verbatum.
No sooner had Senator Taft
made his proposal than Senator
Lodge walked out Of his Office
directly in front of a TV camera
to echo Gen. Eisenhower: INC
deal"
The national committee pushed
Through the Taft compromise any
way-again with the 60 Taft votes.
IF they'd been smart they'd have
varied the roll calls" the Eisen-
hover men commented. u
Scene Set for Convention.
Thus the scene was set on the
week end before the convention
opened. The delegates began to
pour into Chicago.
The citizens groups were as
signed to the hoopla detail. They
stated the Blackstone Theater,
the Normandy Lounge in the Hill
ton, provided the. bands and the
|marchers.
In their 11th-fioor headquarters.
Mr.. Haggerty and Mr.. Brownell
were ready for battle. Their. open
ling move was to introduce the
fair play" amendment on Mon
day. just after the convention
opened.
BY then they had the votes.
Gov. Fine had made up his mind
|the Wednesday before to side with
Gen. Eisenhower. He. too. was
|sore about the closed doors at the
national committee meetings.
Senator Nixon Of California had
been in Chicago attending meet
ings. He flew to Denver to meet
the California train on its way
here.
California Aid Won.
He convinced Gov. Warren tc
throw CALIFORNIA; 70 votes to the
Eisenhower cause on the "fail
play issue.
t. Arthur Summerfeld Of Michi-
gan had sided with Gen. Eisen-
hover in the national committee
hearings. Gov. Stassen's people
in Minnesota were for the "fail
play" amendment. So was Gov
tMcKeldin.
All the on-the-fencers and thirt
candidates thus were aligned with
Gen. Eisenhower for their first
test.
The Taft high command met in
room 906 Of the Conrad Hilton
until early Sunday morning. They
decided to try to scale down the
I"fair play amendment and to bar
seven Louisiana district delegates
from voting.
The next morning at 1870
when the convention was to open
they huddled in the room back o1
Lincoln's portrait with Senator
Lodge and Sinclair Weeks. an
lother Eisenhower leader.