National Affairs: After the Twist

In Suite 408 of the Sheraton-Blackstone Hotel, Averell Harriman and his lieuten ants sat looking at the face of Harry Truman on their television screen. When Truman named Harriman as his Democratic candidate, Ave glowed all over, murmured: "This is marvelous." Forty-five minutes later, Averell Harriman, wearing a grin so wide that it almost could be seen from behind, came out to face television himself. Making small clucking sounds all during his statement, Harriman exulted: "I am deeply moved by this mark of confidence from my old boss."

In the Royal Skyway suite of the Conrad Hilton Hotel, Adlai Stevenson and his lieutenants sat looking at the face of Harry Truman on their screen. When Truman said the Democrats should name the candidate with greatest experience in foreign affairs, Adlai grunted, reached for his pencil and pad, began taking notes. Fifty-five minutes later, Stevenson fought his way through a crush of humanity to his downstairs headquarters, paid strained but polite respects to Harry Truman, and said: "I expect to be the Democratic nominee."

Steadfast Bastard. Thus last week did Harry S. Truman, the snappin', cracklin', poppin' man from Missouri (TIME, Aug. 13), bring the 1956 Democratic Convention to life by twisting all the previous political equations. With Truman's twist, many Democrats were torn, e.g., Truman Biographer Jonathan Daniels of North Carolina, asked by Harry to support Harriman, replied mournfully: "I feel like a bastard at the family reunion. After you announced that you wouldn't run in 1952, you told me to go out and get Adlai Stevenson to run. Stevenson is still running, and I'm still running for Stevenson."

Although there were no immediate, crashing switches from Stevenson to Harriman, there were tremors in several delegations. Washington State, previously counted at 21 for Stevenson, five for Har-rinian, erupted when Delegation Chairman Henry P. Carstensen, already a Harriman man, declared that Truman's statement had had a "terrific impact" and left the delegation split even. Furious Stevenson delegates from Washington denied Carstensen's statement, began talking about ousting him as their chairman.