The Others

Unlike the Republican outlook of last fortnight, the pre-convention prospects of the Democratic candidates bore little relation to the votes publicly committed to them. Early this week, the candidates (other than Stevenson) lined up thus:

Averell Harriman was making no significant gains in the early running at Chicago. His chief behind-the-scenes backer, President Truman, was discouraged and willing to turn in other directions.

Estes Kefauver had the most committed delegates (251 1/2) and almost nothing else. His trading position for the vice-presidential nomination was fair.

Richard Russell decreased his slim chance last week when, in an obvious bid for labor support, he declared that the Taft-Hartley Act "must be supplanted by new legislation." The Virginia state convention, which had been considered certain to support him, reacted against his Taft-Hartley statement by sending an uninstructed delegation.

Harry Truman would not allow himself to be drafted unless there was a thoroughly hopeless deadlock that could not be broken by a draft of Stevenson.

Oklahoma's Senator Bob Kerr, Michigan's Governor Mennen Williams, Chief Justice Fred Vinson and half a dozen others were all among the 50-to-1 shots as the convention was called to order.

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