On to the West

While his margin was still rolling up in Minnesota last week, Estes Kefauver was following his hand westward across the U.S. He dropped in at Great Falls, Mont, to shake a few, flew on to Portland for a meeting of his supporters and finally landed in California for a six-day, 33-speech stint in the San Francisco and Los Angeles metropolitan areas. On a busy street in San Francisco the long Kefauver arm snaked up into the window of a big bus and caught the right hand of the startled driver, as Estes said: "I'm Estes Kefauver. I hope you will vote for me." In Richmond, Kefauver. who in the past has been photographed riding a pogo stick, eating raw meat and driving a horse and wagon, was snapped climbing through the ropes into a boxing ring. After a day with her candidate, California's Democratic National Committeewoman Clara Shirpser cracked: "When I got home that night I shook hands with my mother."

Off the Balcony. Winner Kefauver was hard at work capitalizing on his victory in Minnesota. Before the Democratic National Convention convenes in Chicago, there will be more head-on clashes between Kefauver and Adlai Stevenson.

The first, in Alaska's primary on April 24, is considered unimportant and a tossup. The most critical of the remaining encounters is in California on June 5.

In California, the situation is strikingly similar to that in Minnesota. Practically all of the party organization leaders are for Stevenson. Already Kefauver's familiar charge of bossism is beginning to sting. As in Minnesota. Kefauver appeared to be building strong support. Said Los Angeles Attorney Claude E. Young, treasurer of the Kefauver State Committee:

"One man sent in a payroll check for $119, said it was his pay for two weeks and he wanted it used for Kefauver. You can't beat that kind of spirit."

While they kept a stiff upper lip in public. Stevenson's leaders in California were frightened, baffled and discouraged. Said one: "We'll have to revamp our entire campaign in California. And Adlai will have to make some changes. He can't play it from the balcony any more; he's got to get down with the people. When he came out to California we gave him a complete briefing. He didn't do a single damned thing we suggested--like spending less time polishing up those speeches and more time meeting people. Another thing: I wish he weren't so 'witty.' That remark in Minnesota about 'Eisenhower slipped here'--to hell with it. The people like it straight. Just tell them the truth in simple English."

A Winner Can Lose. Aside from the head-on clashes, there will be other Stevenson-Kefauver skirmishes that may take on some significance. In Oregon's May 18 primary, there will be a write-in campaign for both candidates. In New Jersey's primary on April 17, a slate of Kefauver delegates will be up against an uncommitted but Stevenson-leaning slate headed by Governor Robert Meyner. After what happened to Governor Freeman in Minnesota, Governor Meyner last week was sounding a little edgy.

In other states Kefauver's Minnesota victory started a flurry of activity, e.g., in Boston his supporters broke out some orange buttons, left over from 1952, which proclaimed: "Kefauver, The Winning Democrat." Even in Stevenson's own Illinois, where he will be the only presidential candidate on the Democratic ballot, there were murmurs of discontent. Many a downstate Democratic wheel is restive under the leadership of Stevenson's political heirs, and onetime (1939-51) U.S. Senator Scott Lucas has been privately denouncing Stevenson.

This week there was general agreement among politicians, including those in Stevenson's own camp, that the 1952 nominee cannot stand to take another loss at the hands of Estes Kefauver. On the other hand there was widespread conviction that Kefauver. the lone wolf who is disliked by most regular organization Democratic leaders, can win all the primaries and still not win the nomination.

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