FORECAST THAT DEWEY WILL WIN U.S. PRESIDENCY TOMORROW

Wanganui Chronicle, 1 November 1948, Page 5

FORECAST THAT DEWEY WILL WIN U.S. PRESIDENCY TOMORROW

Democrats May Upset Present Balance In Senate But Not In The House (N.Z.P. A.—Copyright.) NEW YORK. Oct. 31 (Rec. 7.30 pm).—ln a final pre-election survey, based on reports from 48 States, the “New York Times” predicts that Mr. Dewey (Republican) will win the Presidency by 345 electoral college votes to Mr. Truman’s 105.

The survey shows that the Re-“ publica'ns will retain a comfort-1 able majority in the House, but' Senate control is still doubtful,: with a tie a strong possibility. Ini the event of a tic the Republicans j would still control the Senate. I

“The Times" says Mr. James Thurmond, Democrat candidate, will win I .38 electoral votes, hut Mr. Henry I Wallace, Progressive Party candidate.! will get none. The Democrats are hardly likely to I gain the 31 seats necessary to give! them a majority in the House, but' there is a slight possibility that they I may topple the balance in the Senate. I At present the Senate contains 51 Re-1 publicans and, 45 Democrats. Seven-I teen Republican and 15 Democratic seats in the Senate are to be filled on| Tuesday, and "The Times” survey shows that the entire control of the Senate may depend on the results in; Minnesota, Wyoming, Kentucky and' Tennessee. j "The Times’’ says 51,000,000 are expected to vote. Candidates tonight wound up their campaigns. Mr. Dewey ended his in New York, where he drew a greater and more enthusiastic crowd at Madison Square Garden than Mr. Truman did on Thursday. To the end Mr. Dewey plugged the "unity” line, 1 while Mr. Truman, still confident, continued to hurl invective at the Republicans in his last formal campaign speech at St. Louis, Missouri, his home State. New York State was the scene last week of high pressure campaigns by the two major candidates in efforts to capture the State’s all important 47 electoral college votes. With a total enrolment exceeding 7,000,000, observers predict Mr. Dewey will take New York State with a majority of 500,000. No candidate has lost New York and won the Presidency since Woodrow Wilson was re-elected. Mr Truman is at a disadvantage through losses to Mr. Wallace. It is recalled that President Roosevelt would have lost New York in 1944 without the support of the American Labour Party, which now is supporting Mr. Wallace. It is expected Many Jewish Democrats will refrain from voting through dissatisfaction with Mr. Truman's Palestine policy. One State is already lost io Truman, whose name does not appear on the ballot paper. It is Alabama and wilt almost certainly go to Mr. Thurmond. Dewey’s lavishly financed and bril- j liantly stage-managed campaign, key- | noted from the start on a Republican ‘ victory, has contrasted with the 1 humbler efforts of the divided Demo- | cratic Party. There is considerably more newspaper support lor Dewey than in 1914. A round-up shows 771 dailies, representing 75.55 of the national circulation are for the Republican against 182 for Truman, representing 10.03 of the circulation. Thurmond is backed by 45 dailies and Wallace by three. Mr. Truman, despite his 64 years, has shown amazing physical endurance to the end of the campaign, wherein he has travelled 33,000 miles, delivering 250 speeches to 6,000,000 people. His apparent enjoyment of the campaign, despite predictions of a crushing defeat, prompted the “New York Times” correspondent to contrast an “obviously sincere man, who hoarsely asked reporters to pray for him the day Roosevelt died,” with with a brisk campaigner who ended by confidently scolding everybody in sight—Republicans, newspapers, opinion polls, even non-voting democrats. For the first time since the election campaign began, Mr. Truman* yesterday reaffirmed his stand on the I civil right , programme that split the Democratic Party at the Philadelphia convention. Addressing a rally in Harlem, New York's populous negro district, Mr Truman pledged ‘'resolute and unwavering support” for the pro- ' gramme. i "Democracy’s answer to totaliarian- : ism is> its jjiomi.se of equal rights and equal opportuni tv lor all mankind,” said Mr. Truman. “The fulfilment of this promise is among the highest purposes of the Government. 1 intend I moving towards tiie goal of equal , rights and equal opportunity with every ounce of strength and determination 1 have.” : Mr. Truman has made only vague, guarded references to the i’vil rights