Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 1948. U.S. ELECTIONS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 143, 30 March 1948, Page 2

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 1948. U.S. ELECTIONS

.The United States Presidential election is not scheduled to be held until November, but a great deal of interest is already being displayed both inside and outside the country in regard to the probable candidates. There have been all sorts of rumours, but conditions in America at the moment are such that the chances of several likely candidates may be killed before they ever reach the nomination stage. The electoral machine itself is vast and complicated in comparison with that in New Zealand, and it is difficult to explain when people are not conversant with the procedure. In the initial stages State primary elections are held, and their purpose is to select candidates to attend party conventions. These usually take place in July, and it is there that the nominations come forward for President, VicePresident and Democratic and Republican tickets. From this it can be seen that the parliamentary campaign generally extends over a period of about six months, whereas the whole campaign in this country rarely exceeds six weeks. All manner of complications can come into American procedure, because in the first place all the States do not conduct primaries, and those that do invariably operate under different sets of rules. For example, at some primaries delegates appointed are pledged to certain candidates. other delegates are allowed a roving commission, while other delegates are pledged to a.preference rota of candidates. These differences find expression in the most fertile fields for manoeuvre at the big party conventions. Chief interest at the moment seems to centre round the reported candidature of General MaciArthur. In a recent statement from Tokio he said that he was prepared to accept the Presidency and he has the backing of the Hearst Press, which is very powerful in the States. They are hailing him as “the man of the hour,” and have declared that he is the only man fitted to meet the greatest political need since the time of Lincoln. Be that as it may,. MacArthur will meet considerable opposition, for there is a possibility of the emergence of a third party under lienry Wallace, who has a strong following. A great deal of political dust is already blowing, and it will not clear until the two parties have finally selected their candidates.