National Affairs: 13 for Ike

At Vermont’s Republican convention in Montpelier last week, traditions toppled like tenpins. First, the 921 delegates repudiated the pro-Taft old guard by a 3-1 majority and elected twelve Eisenhower men to go to Chicago. Then they formally instructed the delegation to vote for Ike—a break with the custom of sending officially uncommitted delegations. Finally, they chose Eisenhower’s state campaign manager—Edward G. Janeway, a onetime Wall Street broker—as Vermont’s national committeeman. It was the first time in memory that the job did not go to a lifetime Vermonter.

Results elsewhere last week:

¶ Vermont Democrats chose ten delegates (with six: votes), all unpledged. ¶ Washington state Democrats picked 32 delegates (with 22 votes), most of whom favor Kefauver, and heard a stem-winder speech by Candidate Robert Kerr. Sample passage: “Eisenhower hasn’t committed himself on anything. He is the nation’s only living unknown soldier.” ¶ North Dakota Republicans chose eight Taft men, one Ike man and five uncommitted delegates to go to Chicago. ¶ North Dakota Democrats elected 16 unpledged delegates (with eight votes). ¶ Hawaii Republicans received assurances that both Taft and Eisenhower would support statehood for the islands, then elected eight uncommitted delegates.