Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-11

Continued From First Pag'
fort TO secure Wrlte-inS nor die
my national committee make
any effort to conduct a write il
campaign, although l understand
some local people did so. Thi!
is Mr. StevensonS home State
and I had no desire to interfere.
Sees Substantial Swing
When President Eisenhower
total vote pushed past Mr., Ste.
venson's at midday, Senator Ke
fauver expanded his statement
by saying
Illinois was lost by the Demo.
Gratis in 1852 by $4,000 votes
If the Democrats are a little il
the lead or even close in thu
it will indicate a substantial
swing TO our party"
Senator Douglas, Democrat o
Illinois, told reporters ne think
the primary showed "a very rea
Democratic gain"
Normally. he said, the Re
publican vote in the primary i
appreciably larger than tn,
Democratic vote. He said h,
expects the Democratic total vii
grow as write-ins for Senator
Kefauver are tabulated.
ON the whole, he said, 1t i
a very good showing for tn,
Democrats.
Senator Kefauver had sale
previously he expected only {
light Write-in vote, perhaps II
per cent. 1t looked today, how
ever, as though his write-in VOTE
would be around 4 per cent Of
the Democratic total,
Cheers Campaign
The meager Write-in vote anC
Mr.. StevenSon's close race-ir
number of votes-With Mr.. FL.
senhower. gave the Stevenson
campaign for the Democratic
presidential nomination a shot
in the arm which it badly needed
President EiSenhoWer's narrow
lead was nothing much to cheer
about In 1852 he had about
80 per cent of the total vote cast
in that election to As per CEN
for Mr.. Stevenson.
Sees No Detection
Republican Gov. William G.
Stratton, who yesterday won re-
nomination in the primary, put
the best light he could on the Ell
senhower showing He said: III
there had been any detection or
the farm issue in oWn-State
Illinois where the farms are)
you wouldn't have that great
vote for President Eisenhower.
The primary vote was light
probably not more than a mil.
lion and half. The total reg
istered voting strength in Illinois
runs almost 5 million. The
chairman of the Illinois Citizen;
for Eisenhower Committee, Sam.
uel w. Witwer, commented thai
the light vote demonstrates the
Importance of the independent
vote in the general election ir
November" He said it was clear
that more and more voters were
not willing to identify them.
selves with one party or the
other and vote Independently or
candidates and issues. The re.
suits in Illinois, he said, showed
a need for increased action.
I'VE are determined he said
ITO Immediately close ranks. tc
seek the support of independents
as well as Democrats and Re-
publicans for the reelection OF
President Eisenhower.
Stevenson Statement
Mr.. Stevenson, in Florida to.
day TO continue his campaign fol
that States delegates to the
Democratic National Convention
against Senator Kefauver, said
Il am delighted that the total
thus far indicates that, despite
an organized Write-in campaign
by Senator Kefauver's sup
porters, l have been overwhelm-
ingly Endorsed by the voters in
my home State. This primary
meant a great deal to me and
/ am enormously grateful to my
many friends in Illinois.
A. Bradley Eben, National
ce-chairman of the Kefauver
campaign committee. said in
complete returns indicate MIR.
Stevenson will run well behind
the vote he received in the 1852
gubernatorial primary" Mr.,
Stevenson, receiving 708.275
votes in that primary, was re-
nominated for Governor with
out opposition. The total vote
in that primary, Republican and
Democratic, was nearly 23 mil
lion. we'll ahead Of the vote cast
yesterday
Advisory Primary
The Illinois presidential pref
erence primary is only advisory, y
so far as the delegates to the
national conventions are con-
cerned. Mr.. Eisenhower had
only token opposition from Sem
ator Knowland Of California,
who is supporting the President
and could not get his own name