The Last Scurry

All over the U. S. last week, Republican politicos were deep in badges and baggage, bunting and buttons. As these delegates got ready for their trip to Philadelphia, to the Republican National Convention, some of them at least were aware that they might be on their way to make history. The U. S.. distracted by events overseas, looked forward to the convention with somewhat less excitement than two months ago. Not so the candidates, nor the delegates.

They cared-and would continue to. no matter how faint their voices in the thunder of war. So did the U. S. care-under certain circumstances. The country waited to see whether or not the G. 0. P. would nominate a man who could be the nation's leader. The Party's problem was to pick such a man, or resign the nation's leadership to Franklin Roosevelt.

The candidates' time was almost up.

Out they scurried into the political badlands to handclasp, speechify, claim and counterclaim. Into North Carolina and West Virginia scurried Thomas E. Dewey; into Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama stumped Robert Taft. In Missouri and Nebraska, Wendell Willkie quietly gathered in delegates that his rivals had counted on as safe in their own bags. The newest Gallup poll showed him second in popularity among Republican voters, upped him from 10% to 17% in two weeks' time (Dewey lost 4%, but was still far in the lead with 52%).

In unashamed contradiction, both Messrs. Taft & Dewey have claimed the majority of delegates in Indiana, Kentucky, Montana. Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee, Wyoming. Both have claimed votes in Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, although these States had selected more than one Republican delegation, faced seating contests at the convention. Many a Republican State boss still sat mum on the sidelines, planned to use his quota of votes to make an effective deal at the convention, or toss them on to the band wagon as it rolled by.

With but a few days left before convention time, no Republican candidate had the 501 votes necessary for nomination on the first ballot. Hopefuls Taft & Dewey, with almost equal delegate strength, were far ahead of their rivals, even after discounting their supporters' exaggerated claims. First ballot vote claimed for Dewey: 400-450 (probable vote: about 300); first ballot vote claimed for Taft: 390 (probable vote: about 250). Still uncommitted, or thoroughly divided among twelve favorite sons and dark-horse candidates-were the remaining 450 votes.

In this chaos of counterclaims, one possibility grew more likely: a deadlock that might allow a dark horse to romp away with the nomination.

-About like this: Arthur James, 72; Arthur Vandenberg, 67; Herbert Hoover, 44; Hanford MacNider, 33; Wendell Willkie, 26; Frank Gannett, 24; Styles Bridges, 24; Joe Martin, 20; Arthur Capper, 18; Raymond Baldwin, 16; Charles McNary, 10; Hamilton Fish, 2; unknown, 94.

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