Nation: CONVENTION OF THE LEMMINGS

IN Miami Beach the Republicans strove for harmony and produced monotony. In Chicago this week, the Democrats seemed certain to offer more discord than unity. Their presidential nominating convention shaped up like Combat in civvies. As the contenders battled bitterly over credentials, the platform and seating arrangements, there was a strong possibility that in the armed-camp atmosphere that prevailed outside the International Amphitheatre, police and demonstrators would clash.

The only weak part of the Democratic production may be the climax. Vice President Hubert Humphrey has long been odds-on favorite to win a first-ballot nomination, and remained so on the eve of the convention. But even there, the Democrats were contriving to provide some suspense. Thanks to Humphrey's stumbling performance in recent weeks, doubts were multiplying about him as a candidate—and as a potential President. Rumors circulated in Chicago and Washington that if deadlock developed, delegates would draft Senator Edward Kennedy, who emerged from 21 months of seclusion to deliver an impressive speech in which he rejected the idea of retiring from public life because "there is no safety in hiding." He also vowed "to carry forward that special commitment to justice, to excellence, to courage" that distinguished his three dead brothers. Other speculation was that the convention would turn in desperation to the man who has renounced the office, Lyndon B. Johnson. The fact that the President was demeaning Humphrey in private did nothing to stifle such speculation.

His Own Man. The Vice President's aides pooh-poohed all rumors, claiming at least 1,450 first-ballot votes for their man (needed to nominate: 1,312). Nonetheless, some Humphrey supporters were fearful that the whole operation was coming unstuck and that a delay in the convention—whether as a result of prolonged floor fights, paralyzing disorders outside the hall or anything else —could prove dangerous. The fact is that Humphrey has thus far failed to make much of an impression on the electorate or to demonstrate that he is his own man, not Lyndon Johnson's.

Of course, he has not been campaigning before the electorate. And as for delegates, they were clearly not convinced that the Vice President's rivals were more deserving of the nomination. Senator Eugene McCarthy's strategy was to force floor fights to stir up torpid delegates, but he was not optimistic about his chances. With characteristic detachment, he allowed: "I'm like the messenger who comes bearing the bad news. In the olden days they used to put him to death. I don't think they'll go quite that far in Chicago." Senator George McGovern, who went to Chicago claiming roughly 125 to 150 votes, hoped a deadlocked convention might turn to him. But backing from many supporters of the late Robert F. Kennedy has not meant much in terms of delegate strength.

Dismal Tidings. Despite his long lead for the nomination, Humphrey may enter the campaign as the distinct underdog. Nixon's high rating in the polls is part of the reason, and the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia is likely to enhance his appeal. Because Nixon still has the reputation of being a tough antiCommunist, he stands to benefit from Moscow's raw assertion of power.