NOMINATION MINUET
By an American Correspondent THE nominating conventions of the parties will not meet for more than a year to select the candidates for the Presidential campaign of 1956. But already the jockeying and manceuvring for position, with the inevitable press releases and carefully contrived entrances and exits from 'the ring' by the possibles in both parties, is well under way. All this activity is important, even those tasteful minuets which leave a possible candidate hesitating modestly between stern duty and heartfelt desire for retirement. The party conventions are peculiarly susceptible to the climate of opinion created before they set to work.
Manceuvrings within the Democratic party have already begun. Senator Russell, a perennial contender from the South (largely for tactical purposes), bowed out. He was quickly followed by Harriman, the Governor of New York, whose victory last fall plus his distinguished record of service under both Roosevelt and Truman made interest in him, both within and without the party, very great. Then Kefauver, a tireless campaigner on his own behalf before the last election, with- drew as well, even though he later temporised. All these with- drawals came within a day or so of each other and were followed in turn by a brief and intriguing silence, broken by an article in the New York Times signed by its Chicago reporter. It simply said authoritatively that Adlai Stevenson would be willing to run again, even though Mr. Stevenson did not feel it would be proper for him to say so himself. He has been making speeches ever since as though he were already on the campaign trail.
The obvious significance of this is that Mr. Stevenson has the Democratic nomination firmly in hig pocket. But the reluc- tance of some of the other Democratic possibles was probably caused by their certainty that Eisenhower will be the Republican candidate and that for any of them to run against him would mean sure defeat. Whether Stevenson thinks the same about himself is unknown, but he has at least been willing to capitalise on the timidity of his immediate competitors. And the incipient movement among some of Stevenson's most ardent supporters to 'save' him for 1960 (when Eisenhower will definitely be out of the Picture) has been stopped in its tracks.
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