Evening star., 1953-07-27
Mitchell Talks
ToVirginidns in
.An1ity Move.
Democrats Chief
Attempts to Heal
Split in Party
Special Dispateh to The Star

RICHMOND, July 27.-Nat.
ional Democratic Chairman Ste
phen A. Mitchell and II Demo-
cratic leaders from Virginia are
meeting today in a move to weld
the split between the national
and State Democratic parties.
The Virginians were from OPP
posing wings of the States DEM
ocratic party but they had one
bond in common active support
of Adlai Stevenson in last falls
presidential election.
The conference may be a turn
ing point in relations between
the Virginia and the National
Democratic party.
This is the beginning of a
possible rapprochement," COM
mented Delegate ArmiStead
Boothe of Alexandria, a young
leader from the conservative
wing of the Virginia party.
Began in New Deal.
The dominant conservative
wing of the Virginia party began
veering away from the national
party early in the New Deal ad-
ministration of Franklin D.
Roosevelt.
The gap widened last year
when the Democratic National
Convention last summer came
close to unseating the Virginia
delegates for declining to sign a
loyalty pledge.
Later, Senator Byrd, chief of
the conservative Democratic or
ganization in Virginia, in effect
threw his influence between
Dwight D. Eisenhower during the
fall presidential campaign by de-
nouncing Gov. Stevenson as the
heir of Harry Truman's policies.
Mr.. Mitchell was to lunch to-
day with G. Fred Switzer Of
Harrisonburg, the States Demo-
cratic national committeeman
and Senator Byrd's political
courier.
The earlier conference was
held in Washington July 18 and
Mr.. Mitchell's invitation to the
II Virginians was his third step
to bring Virginia back into the
national fold.
CooIy Cn,~nY~n0v1 Cror,,1H
Earlier, he had:
/. Appointed Gov. Battle to
serve on a committee revising the
rules of the Democratic National
Committee.
2. Consulted in Charlottesville
with Colgate w. Darden, jr.,
president of the University OF
Virginia, and former governor,
about the Democratic party's fu-
ture in the South.
At last weeks conference. Mr..
Mitchell told the Virginians that
the national party probably was
suffering from extremes at both
ends and that the problem was
to bring them together on COM
mon grounds.
He outlined his program for
rebuilding the party for next
years electionand noted that
Virginia's quota toward the an
nual budget of party headquar-
tiers was $4,000.
Aim to Meet Quota.
He did not refer to the failure
of the Virginia Democratic State
Central Committee last year to
pass along to the national COM
mittee the proceeds from the an
nual Jefferson jackson Day din
ner'in Richmond.
About Virginia's quota, Mr..
Boothe declared: THE State
Central Committee should have
the first opportunity to raise the
money. but as one organization
Democrat, I think. that if the
committee doesn't raise the
money, others will. Virginia's s
share ought to be raised and it
will be raised"
Among those attending the
conference was Lieut.. Gov. A. E.
S. Stephens of Smithf1eld.
Francis Pickens Miller, an
anti-organization leader, said
that the conference was another
illustration of Mr.. MitchelpS
efforts Ito keep open the lines
of communications between
Democrats.