Evening star., 1952-07-10
Taft Comes Back
Fighting After
|Defeatin Test
Sees Early Victory
Despite Reversal in
Seating of Delegates
By The As,oeic,sd Pres,

CHICAGO, July 10.-Senator
Taft stormed back fighting today
after a stunning reversal in his
bid for the Republican presiden-
tial nomination.
Time was running out at the
|convention-with voting on the
top prize expected to start tomor-
row-and Gen. Eisenhower's jubi-
liant forces had won powerful
backing on the first major floor
test.
But Senator Taft grimly an
|nounced In . pre-dawn state
|ment:
IT expect to be nominated on
an early ballot"
The votes had scarcely been
counted seating pro-Eisenhowe1
Georgia and Texas delegations
by a 607-to-531 ballot on Georgia
and without q roll call on Texas
when Taft began regrouping fol
II comeback.
Reece Sees Different Story"
Taft claimed pledged votes fol
his nomination from many dele
gates who had voted against seat.
ing the pro-Taft delegations.
B. Carroll Reece. former ,Repub-
|lican national chairman who Is
among the Senator's chief hackers
told reporters he knew before the
voting started that the Taft men
could not win the fight.
But Mr.. Reece contended stoutly
that the voting on nominees will
tell q vastly different story"
Some Taft men privately voiced
sharp irritation because of an in
|cident precipitated In the thick p1
the clash by Senator Dirksen oi
Illinois. Senator Dirksen is thu
imam Senator Taft had chosen Il
Ioffer his name for the nomination
Delegates Justify booed Gov
Thomas Z. Dewey, the party's 1914
and 1948 presidential standard
bearer. after Senator Dirksen had
Ipointedly stared at Dewey and re-
preached: "You took us down the
road to defeat in both campaigns. -
AS the booing went on, it was
hard to tell who was being booed
Dirksen Confident.
Senator Dirksen said this morn
ing after a call on Taft that 81
am highly confident. He will have
a very imposing vote on the first
ballot" He added to reporters:
Everything looks all right. The
vote last night was not fatal.
"It's a little difficult to tell il
he can win on the first ballot. be-
cause there are two or three other
candidates involved, but after that
I think everything will be all
right"
Speculation on Macarthur Role.
Senator Taft gave no hint
whether he has in mind any eff
fort to placate Gov. Dewey's camp
which is among Gen. Eisenhower
main supporters.
Taft's statement denounced
what he termed "the arbitrary &C.
tion Of the convention" in reject.
ing the Georgia and Texas slate.
approved by the Taft-controllec
Credentials Committee. He sale
he lost a net Of IS certain votes
David S. Ingalls,. Representative
Clarence E. Brown Of Ohio anc
Mr. Reece were first to speed ts
lSenator Taft's side after the vot-
ling. They were followed closely
by julius Klein, wealthy Chi
cagoan, and Senators Case O
South Dakota and Welker o
Idaho.
The visits Of Senator Case ant
Mr.. Klein started q buzz Of specu'
llation in Taft's camp that tn,
|new drive for victory might in
|volve some important role for Gen
douglas Macarthur.
Both are close friends and back.
lers Of, Gen. Macarthur. who ha
Isome delegate support for tn,
presidential nomination and fre
'fquently is mentioned for Vic
president on q Taft-for- Presiden
ticket.