Chicago-bound

San Francisco is the place where young Franklin Delano Roosevelt of New York State was wildly acclaimed as the Vice Presidential candidate just before the Democratic Party went down to ignominious defeat, in 1920. Chicago is the place on the shores of Lake Michigan that many a politico wishes he had been for Roosevelt before.

Last week the Democratic National Committee, facing a choice of San Francisco, Philadelphia, Houston or Chicago for its forthcoming National Convention, did not debate long before deciding on Chicago again. In the Willard Hotel the committee heard a great deal of Third Term talk in the lobby (but none on the floor) ; heard Chairman Farley say a pleasant word for Candidate Garner; talked, chatted, speculated, while members plumped for their cities and Chairman Farley blasted the no-program Republicans.

Small, vivacious, black-haired Mrs. Henry Grady, vice-chairman of the Democratic National Committee, wife of the Assistant Secretary of State, spoke for San Francisco, gesticulated so excitedly when she cried, "I ask you to remember that it was in San Francisco the name of Franklin Roosevelt was first put on the national ballot!", that the feathers on her maroon hat quivered.

> High-minded was the appeal of curly-haired Mayor Kelly of Chicago, who spoke of the city's 27 railroads, its newspapers, the reasonableness of its hotel accommodation, and who said that, while Chicago would meet any reasonable figure, "we in Chicago are not here to be put on the auction block."

> Low, crass seduction distinguished Philadelphia's appeal, as five orators on-&-onned, pledged good weather (a perilous undertaking, even if the convention date had been set), displayed a certified check for $125.000. Sneered Philadelphian Kelly of Chicagoan Kelly's righteous appeal, "I can't imagine Jim Farley thinking there is anything indecent about $125,000." and promised that delegates would have a good time, said that "no place will be closed at four o'clock, not even Independence Hall."

Spurning this luscious prospect, spurning Jesse Jones's surprise offer of $200,000 for Houston, members took Chicago, although Mayor Kelly had to stride up & down the aisle, acting as his own floor marshal; and the vote was close. In no time newspaper correspondents added it up as another sign of strength for the third-term drive, since Mayor Kelly had spoken for it. and even Chairman Farley had mentioned the 10,000,000 independent voters whose votes, third-termers believe, can be brought out only by glamorous, dramatic Franklin Roosevelt.

As the Democratic National Committee arrived in Washington, President Roosevelt quietly slipped away to Hyde Park for a rest.

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