"Confused or Fluid"

The Republicans had hardly packed up and moved out of Chicago before the Democratic vanguard began moving in among the debris of torn signs, discarded campaign buttons and bedraggled bunting to prepare for the Democratic Convention opening next Monday.

Agents for Candidate Bob Kerr staked out the Hilton's Normandie Lounge as a site for a genuine log cabin to symbolize Millionaire Oilman Kerr's humble beginnings. When they discovered the cabin would cost $25,000, they settled for a papier-mache model worth $600. A "Kids for Kefauver" club scavenged the International Amphitheater to collect hundreds of old Taft signs, set to work to refurbish the sticks with Kefauver signs.

Forward, the Veep. Everything was ready for the show except the stars. The 1,230 Democratic votes are distributed ineffectively among half a dozen front runners and a dozen-odd favorite sons. Said Commerce Secretary Charles Sawyer in a classic summation: "The situation is confused or fluid, whichever way you want to look at it." Said a more candid White House staffer: "Hell, we've got plenty of candidates. What we need real bad is a candidate who can beat Eisenhower."

Last week aged Vice President Alben Barkley stepped forward and announced that he would like to try. The Veep has always managed to be loyal to the Fair Deal (including FEPC), and at the same time so loyal to his friends both in the North & South that he is regarded by one & all as "Mr. Democrat." Asked on what ballot he expects his nomination, Barkley cracked: "Almost any ballot would be satisfactory."

He was the first to mention the principal argument against his candidacy: he will be 75 next November. "I would not reduce my age by one hour to be President," he said. "If there are any who think they can outstrip or keep up with me in fighting for the Democratic Party . . . let them speak up about my age, and let all others keep silent."

Because of the age handicap, Barkley is an outsider in the Democratic race, but an interesting outsider.

The Boy Scout. Estes Kefauver, who now leads the pack with 252 1/2 delegates, let it be known that he was made to order for the battle against Eisenhower. Said Kefauver's campaign manager, Gael Sullivan: "You watch what the big Democratic bosses do now--guys we haven't been able to crack. They'll say: 'How can we duck that sonofabitch Kefauver?' They think he's a Boy Scout, but they know he's got vote appeal . . . We will point out that the Republicans slapped down their machine bosses, and the Democrats have to reject boss rule too. The bosses in our party are smart enough to see that and get aboard."

Georgia's Richard Russell, claiming 200-300 delegates, thinks that Ike's nomination has strengthened his hand. Russell backers warn that the Democrats had better pay attention to Russell and be careful of the civil-rights plank lest they lose the South to Ike. With Russell, the Democrats can hold the South, though they might lose almost everything else.

Illinois' Governor Adlai Stevenson, who probably could have whistled up enough delegates to carry his nomination two or three weeks ago, last week tantalized reporters with still another statement asking Democrats not to nominate him. What would he do if he were drafted? "I guess I'd shoot myself," laughed Stevenson. That sounded more like William Tecumseh ("If elected, I will not serve") Sherman, but a moment later Stevenson sounded like Stevenson again. Said he: "No politician can say he would refuse a draft."

The Eisenhower-Nixon ticket would give Stevenson the toughest possible political opposition. Nixon is the man who broke the Hiss case, and Nixon could make effective capital out of the fact that Stevenson aided Hiss's defense with a deposition during the first Hiss trial. The Democrats would scarcely relish a campaign that fought the Hiss case over again.

Eye to Eye. Stevenson's position left gaunt Averell Harriman with a slight overall edge for the nomination. Truman likes Honest Ave's inflexible defense of the whole New Deal-Fair Deal program, and could easily throw more votes Harriman's way than Kefauver has earned in eight months of hard campaigning. Last week Harriman flew to Detroit to pick up a rich reward from labor. After two days of conferences, the C.I.O.'s Walter Reuther, a power in Michigan's 40-vote delegation, stated: "I don't see eye to eye with Kefauver. I don't know Stevenson, but I do see eye to eye with Harriman."

The Fire Breather. The main Democratic reaction to the Republican nomination took the form of increased pressure on Truman to run again. Publicly he laughed about the defeat of his "favorite candidate," Bob Taft. But close friends said he started to breathe fire when he heard Ike Eisenhower's acceptance speech. Reportedly, Truman has turned against the general he once offered to support for the Presidency, now mutters that Ike is an apostate and a fourflusher.

If Truman runs, he will not proclaim his candidacy before the convention. Then if Kefauver begins to win, or if a deadlock develops, the strategists may place Truman's name in nomination during the balloting. After that it will be up to him to refuse again, or to come to the aid of the party.

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