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Show i 7 - V J 1 v3eliind tlie J4eadfined I r,dirrannwHuiinaBiiinnniiiiniiiiraiiitniiniii The nation hardly blinked an eye when Harold Stassen "bloodied "blood-ied but unbowed" by successive political defeats, became the Republican Re-publican organization candidate for Mayor of Philadelphia a few days ago. However the development now means that Stassen will be assured as-sured of a role in the 1960 Republican Re-publican convention. In 1956, Stassen, a former governor gov-ernor of Minnesota and twice defeated candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, incurred incur-red the enmity of the Republican party by opposing Vice President Presi-dent Nixon's nomination. Stassen urged the nomination of then Gov. Christian Herter of Massachusetts Massa-chusetts as the running mate to President Eisenhower. However Herter himself, now the Acting Secretary of State, incidentally, repudiated Stassen, seconded the Nixon renomination. Stassen himself soon thereafter resigned as White House disarmament ad- A. 1 I1 ft J 1 from Philadelphia ror the remaining re-maining six seats. Surrounding suburban counties traditionally follow Philadelphia's lead in the Republican convention. Stassen hoped to add these to his own if he should win the Mayoralty race. But his eye was and still is on Pennsylvania's huge pool of 74 delegates to the 1960 Republican Repub-lican convention. Stassen already expects to have some 25 delegates dele-gates from western Pennsylvania where he ran strong but unsuccessfully unsuc-cessfully in the gubernatorial primary last year and where he still is popular. Moreover, should Stassen win the race for Mayor he would be the only Republican Republi-can holding office in a major city in a predominately Democratic Demo-cratic state. It is also Stassen's hope that the GOP National Committee will choose Philadelphia Philadel-phia as the site for its 1960 convention con-vention enabling him to play host and deliver what would be visur 10 maKe an m iaiea race for the Republican nomination for Governor of Pennsylvania. Stassen was defeated in t he Pennsylvania primary by Arthur McGonigle, Reading, Pa., pretzel manufacturer, who, in turn was beaten by the powerful Democratic Demo-cratic Mayor David Lawrence of Pittsburg. But in losing against the Pennsylvania Republican organization, or-ganization, Stassen made an impressive im-pressive showing. He carried many western Pennsylvania counties and probably would have won the nomination for Governor in the primary election, elec-tion, at least, if the Philadelphia organization, which now backs him for Mayor, had supported Stassen for Governor. The transplanted Minnesotan was the unanimous choice of the Philadelphia Republican organization. organi-zation. He will face only token opposition in the May primary election and then go on to face Democratic Mayor Richard Dil-wotrh, Dil-wotrh, running for re-election, in November. The Philadelphia GOP organization, organ-ization, in ruins since Dilworth tantamount to a Keynote address ad-dress in the traditional Mayor's! welcoming speech. Stassen hopes to use the votes of the Philadelphia Republican convention delegation, and possibly pos-sibly as many of Pennsylvania's big 74 vote total to launch, a big Rockefeller for President boom on the convention floor, which New York's delegation could be expected to support. 'These are far reaching aims of the ex-Minnesotan who has been remarkably successful as of late in attempting to make a political comeback. Not even Vice President Nixon, Nix-on, still the front runner for the GOP presidential nomination, is too worried by the Stassen gambit. gam-bit. Nixon quipped to friends recently that "Stassen has to become Mayor of Philadelphia first," which few Philadelphians expect him to pull off. But win or lose, Stassen, by making the race has won a ticket as delegate to the 1960 GOP convention and he has given notice no-tice that he has ended his feud with Vice President Nixon. Ironically, another Minnesotan Senator Hubert H. Humphrey, is also ahead of Pennsylvania's Democratic party. Governor Dayid Lawrence, though Catholic, Catho-lic, favors Humphrey over Sen. Kennedy or anyone else for the presidency. But that's another story. and U. S. Senator Clark began a reform movement in 1946, did not choose Stassen because it particularly liked him. It had even asked five other prominent Philadelphians to save the organization or-ganization by running as its nominee before coming around to Stassen who maintains a residence resi-dence and nominally practices law in Philadelphia. Former Philadelphia Sheriff Austin Meehan, who dominates the city. GOP machinery, rounded round-ed up support for Stassen for several reasons. He has needed a strong ticket to have any hope at all of upsetting the powerful Democratic organization. Meehan, Mee-han, who also believes he has been slighted in securing patronage, pa-tronage, from the Eisenhower Administration, is determined to go into the 1960 Republican Na-4 Na-4 tional Convention with a pool of uncommitted delegates. Stassen agreed to run for Mayor provided, pro-vided, win or lose, he could name at least half of Philadelphia's Philadel-phia's twelve member GOP convention con-vention delegation. Meehan is said to have quickly agreed so Stassen upped the price of his candidacy. Meehan then stallen, sought other possible candidates but finding none willing will-ing to run, was forced to take . Stassen on Stassen's terms. If he should be able to win against Democrat Dilworth and bring Philadelphia back to the Republican column, Stassen also wanted the hight to veto candidates candi-dates for convention delegate |