I
Stevenson,
Far Ahead
Kefa
uver
of Field
Going Into Stretch
Br ALICIA RUHL
Chicago, July 23 (By Air
mail) Tfte Democratic field.
which two days ago seemed
nothing but a slate of "dark
horses," is already narrowing
down to the favored few. Vice
President Barkley's withdrawal
late Monday night left the con
test pretty much between Ste
venson. Kefauver, and Harri
man with what seems to be, at
this early stage, a strong edge
in favor of the Governor of Il
linois. The Chicago Daily News,
doubtless still "heady" over
their accurate forecast of Repub
lican nominees, has crawled out
on another limb and predicted
Stevenson's victory on an early
ballot, and a newsboy greeted
delegates pouring out into Chi
cago's sizzling heat with the
shouted comment that the tide
was turning in. favor of the
"bald-headed candidate from II
1 i n o i s" a characterization
which would doubtless tickle
the sensitive sense of humor of
the man in question.
In the meantime, the reluct
ant candidate, who seems to
think that Stevenson "is the man
to beat," has been doing his best
to do just that, without appar
ently making a dent on anyone.
His technique seems to be to
squeeze the air out of the bar
loon without going so far as to
prick it, and since the balloon
swells despite him no one takes
these efforts very seriously.
Barkley's withdrawal has left
some footloose - and - fancy - free
votes, most of which Steven
son supporters claim will de
flect to them, but it is too soon
to count out Senator Kefauver,
whose popularity with the mass
es is evidenced by the prepon
of Kefauver buttons
and coonskin caps sprinkled
amongst the crowd. (Oddly
noueh. an amazing number of
the coonskin-cap contingent look
quite at home in their headgear.)
Kefauver, whom one suspects
is deeper than meets the surface,
nonetheless knows the import
ance of the surface, and is dog
gedly playing true to character.
Anyone passing the Palmer
House Hotel late yesterday af
ternoon could have seen the
delegate from Tennessee patient
ly urging a stubbornly disin
clined donkey through the door.
Candidate Harriman, who is
popular with labor and pos
sibly with President Truman
seems to suffer from a cloistered
personality and a somewhat too
uncloistered tongue which is
hardly likely to convince the
convention ' that, even if he is
"the man to beat," it would be
Very difficult to do so.
It seems likely, therefore, that
the contest will soon narrow
down to Stevenson and Kefauv
er. President Truman has thus
far held his fire probably de
liberately and if he continues
to do so much longer the boom
for Stevenson may be irretriev
ably launched.
Some of the pace and sustain
ed tension of the Republican
convention has fizzled out, and
the Stockyard auditorium de
spite its new and snappier decor,
its new and relatively fresh
delegates has a somewhat
anti-climactic atmosphere about
it. This convention is less well
attended, and the city though
still alive with sirens, calliopes,
and sideshows of various sorts
is jess interested in the perform
ance. The crowds around the
auditorium have thinned out
and one not only gets a clearer
idea of the whole crazy panor
ama but is an easier subject to
various handouts, so that one
arrives at one's destination with
an armful of pamphlets adver
tising everything from Kefauver
to Jesus Christ. The bars across
the street all have large wel
coming banners strung across
their windows, varying only in
the drink they have to offer, so
that one reads "Welcome
Delegates! Cool off with a glass
of Schlitz!" the next, "Cool
off with a glass of Budweiser!",
"a glass of Blatz," etc.
Inside the auditorium the
Democrats impress one as more
colorful, noisier, and less atten
tive than the Republicans. The
performance is better stage
managed on the whole from
the point of view of entertain
ment rather than drama; but the
list of speakers includes no great
star attractions such as the Re
publicans were able to muster,
and this is probably just as well
since the speakers can hardly be
heard above the muffled roar
which constantly rises from the
bobbing, surging delegates' pit.
Temporary Chairman Dever,
wno someone cracked made a
fine temporary chairman be
cause he had such a temporary
voice, ruined his vocal chords
the first day and since has only
been able to make himself heard
with the gavel. '-'Will the dele
gates kindly keep silent," croaks
Dever painfully, his voice
breaking and completely going
under on the last word.
Mrs. India Edwards, whom he
has just introduced, casts a cal
culating look over the complete
ly unsubdued sea in front of her,
her rather formidable jaw sets,
her mouth thins out, she grabs
the gavel and pounds sharply
bringing momentary order out
of chaos. This afternoon, she
says, you have heard several
speakers, and you have been ex
ceedingly rude! All the tele
vision audience has remarked on
it. Now I can perfectly well sit
down right now, or I can go on
if you are willing to listen to
what I have to say. This brings
a good-natured roar from the
crowd and a promise to behave,
so that Mrs. Edwards some
what mollified is able to pro
ceed. But Eleanor Roosevelt, "the
first lady of the World" as
Chairman Dever somewhat
over-enthusiastically introduced
her was more tolerant and
completely helpdess in the ova
tion which her appearance on
the rostrum set off. She looked
a little uncomfortable as time
went on, but never lost her good
nature, and smiling and waving
occasionally, exuded that aura
of good will which is particular
ly characteristic of her.
From time to time she would
turn appealingly to Dever, but
Dever, beaming with obvious
approval at the crowd was clear
ly happy to be voiceless and no
help at all. Her face disappeared
and re-appeared kaleidoscopical
ly amidst the shifting, bobbing
banners of the parading dele
gates.
First she tried waving them
into their seats, but they re
sponded to this as they might to
a cheer leader, so she subdued
her gestures into a kind of gen
tle, fanning motion, like some
one handling a particularly
touchy cake of yeast. The ova
tion was clearly partly directed
at the First Lady herself, but
probably more of a tribute to
the "Great White Father" of the
Democratic party, whose face
from a huge poster to the right
of the rostrum smiled down
knowingly on the noise and tumult.
Friday, July 25, 1952
MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE THREE
Accordion Band Will
Play at Convention
Members of the Eve Prentice
Accordion band have been in
vited to play at the American
Legion state convention in
Klamath Falls this week-end, it
was announced by Mrs. Prentice
today.
A group of the band members
will go over in cars driven by
parents on Saturday, Mrs. Pren
tice said. They will gather at
the studio at 11 a.m., and will
leave at noon.
Another group, bringing the
band to full strength, will go
over on Monday, and will march
in the parade on Tuesday.
Accomodations and meals for
band members are being ar
ranged for by the Legion, ac
cording to Mrs. Prentice.
TIME TO RUN
Naugatuck, Conn. (U.R)
Mrs. Joseph Gejda, Jr., turned
and ran after raising a window
shade of her home. Bearing
down on her was a giant trailer I
truck. The front of the truck
landed on the Gejda's front
porch. No one was hurt.
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