CHOICE OF MATE

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28050, 18 August 1956, Page 11

CHOICE OF MATE

Task Left To Convention (Rec. 9 p.m.) CHICAGO, August 17. The Democrats today faced the unusual task of nominating a Vice-Presidential candidate of their own choice to join Mr Adlai Stevenson on the ticket that will oppose the expected Republican team of President Eisenhower and Vice-President Nixon at the November elections. After his first-ballot nomination, Mr Stevenson, in a move that he himself termed unusual, said: “I have decided that the selection of the Vice-Presidential nominee should be made through the free processes of this convention.” Normally a Presidential candidate hand-picks his running mate. Mr Stevenson’s move was immediately interpreted in many quarters as the opening shot of a campaign aimed at Mr Nixon, who in the opinion of some Liberal Republicans, would weaken the Republican ticket by running again. Reference to Mr Nixon Mr Nixon would succeed to the Presidency if Mr Eisenhower should die in office after re-election. Mr Stevenson made an indirect reference to this, and to Mr Eisenhower’s two serious illnesses in the last year when he noted that seven of 34 men had reached the nation's highest office by the death of Presidents. In another reference, Mr Stevenson said:

“The American people have the solemn obligation to consider with the utmost care who will be their President if the elected President is prevented by a Higher Will from serving his full term. “The responsibility of the Presidency has grown so great that the nation's attention has become focused as never before on the office of the Vice-Presidency.” he said. “The choice for that office has become almost as important as the choice for the Presidency.” Mr Stevenson said he would not make his formal speech of acceptance until after the Vice-Presidential candidate had been chosen today. Kefauver and Humphrey The Democratic convention convenes at noon today to place the names of the Vice-Presidential candidates in the nomination and is scheduled to vote on them in a night session. The choice, which would have been a fairly routine one if Mr Stevenson had named his favourite, now may not be made until after a protracted battle. Senator Estes Kefauver. of Tennessee, who withdrew his own Presidential candidacy before the convention in favour of Mr Stevenson, and Senator Hubert Humphrey, of Minnesota, who would be likely to attract, support from the farmers, are considered the leaders in the race lor second place on the ticket. Others include Senator Lyndon Johnson, of Texas, the Senate majority leader, who ran third in the balloting which nominated Mr Stevenson; Mr Robert Meyner. Governor of New Jersey; Senator Albert Gore, of Tennessee; Senator John Kennedy, of Massachusetts: and Mr Robert Wagner. Mayor of New York.