National Affairs: Wound Closed, Race Opened

At the appointed hour of 9:30 a.m. one day last week, New Hampshire's young (35) Governor Hugh Gregg stepped before assembled news, radio and television men in the council chamber of the statehouse at Concord. Beside him was an elder of New Hampshire Republicanism, aging (69) Robert William Upton, one.of the state's top trial lawyers. They were there to reveal what had been a closely kept secret: Gregg was appointing Concord's Upton to the U.S. Senate vacancy caused by the death of wrathful old Charles William Tobey (TIME, Aug. 10).

At first glance, the appointment seemed surprising. Upton, vice chairman of the

Republican state committee for 16 years, had announced as a candidate for governor last year and then had suddenly withdrawn because he was recovering from an operation and had waited too long to get into the race. He sat out the primary fight, was unceremoniously dumped out of the G.O.P. organization by the victorious Gregg forces, and then took no part in the election campaign.

On closer inspection, the appointment looked like a natural. By naming Upton, Gregg had healed a party wound, placating the old-line party organization men, who had resented the 1952 treatment of their vice chairman. Upton emphasized that he was accepting the appointment "without condition," but politicos guessed that he will not run next year, when the seat must be filled by election. That would leave a wide-open race for other candidates, probably including young Hugh Gregg.