NEW PRESIDENCY SEEKER McGovern Against Vietnam War

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31755, 12 August 1968, Page 13

NEW PRESIDENCY SEEKER McGovern Against Vietnam War

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, August 11. Admitting that the odds are against him, Senator George McGovern, of South Dakota, has jumped into the Democratic Presidential race with the major aim of getting the Vietnam war ended.

He declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination yesterday, committing himself to the principles for which Senator Robert Kennedy stood, although Senator McGovern said he did not claim to wear the Kennedy mantle.

Political experts today appeared convinced the 46-year-old Senator McGovern, a "dove” of long standing on Vietnam, had virtually no chance of winning the nomination himself at the Democratic convention opening in Chicago on August 26.

But, in the three-man race with , Vice-President Hubert Humphrey and Senator Eugene McCarthy, of Minnesota, he could play an import-

ant role in deciding who the Democrats choose to oppose Mr Richard Nixon in the November election.

Senator McGovern's strategy | has been spelled out—to make himself the rallying point for those Democrats who were backing Senator Kennedy when he was killed in June. Senator McGovern was unable to say how many convention delegates he might already have beyond the 26 pledged to him from his own State of South Dakota.

Senator Kennedy was estimated to have had more than 300 delegates committed to him and presumably, political sources said, Mr McGovern hoped he could pick up most of them and a sizeable number of the 174 still-uncommit-ted California delegation, largely controlled by the powerful State speaker, Mr I Jesse Unruh, a Kennedy I backer.

There will be 2622 delegate votes at the Democratic convention, 1312 of which are needed to win the nomination. Recent unofficial polls have given Vice-President Humphrey well over 700, Senator McCarthy a little more than 400. and another 800 un-

committed or pledged to “favourite sons.” , If Senator McGovern could prevent either of his opponents from winning on the first ballot, he would be in a good position to do some behind-the-scenes convention dealing to get recognition for his Vienam stand.

On Vietnam, Senator McGovern declared that the bombing of North Vietnam should be stopped at once. He said he hoped to influence the Vietnam plank in the Democratic platform to be drafted in advance of the convention.

Eye Bank.— A regional eye bank to serve the Asia-Pacific area is to be set up in Singapore.—Singapore, August 11.

Space Failure.—Space officials have virtually written off a $25 million attempt to put an experimental satellite into earth orbit after a rocket malfunction in space.— Cape Kennedy, August 11.