College Political Clubs Concentrate On November Elections, Plan for '52

In an unusual display of partisanship, the Law School's Democratic and the Harvard Young Republicans Clubs are actively supporting the same candidates in the November 6 elections for the Cambridge City Council and School Committee.

While these two groups are both throwing all their efforts behind the non-partisan Cambridge Civic Association's slate of candidates, the Liberal Union is ignoring Cambridge and concentrating on the Boston election.

The HLU endorses Mayor John B. Hynes and those Boston City Council and School Committee candidates sponsored by the New Boston Committee, a reform group founded by Jerome D. Rappaport '45, HLU members, however, are campaigning exclusively for one school committee candidate, Mary K. Fitzgerald.

The three University political groups have been at work since registration began in Cambridge and primary elections were held earlier this fall in Boston.

Law School Democrats participated in the registration drive this month and are now engaged in house to house canvassing for the CCA in the sixth ward, first precinct. This comprises the area around Cambridge High and Latin School.

On election day, members of the club will work at the polls in that precinct. Activities there will consist of handing out lists of CCA candidates to voters, and telephoning registrants to send them to the polls.

HYRC Canvass

The Young Republicans are doing similar work in their district, comprising the area from the Freshman Union to Putnam Square. Members of the Group are now canvassing all the registered voters in their precinct, and will take charge of poll-watching and checking.

Liberal Union members manned a sound truck and circulated literature on Primary day in Boston. According to Paul Levine '54, of the HLU, his organization swung some 4,000 crucial votes which helped candidate Fitzgerald win the primary race.

Under Boston's new Plan A election system, all but two candidates for each council and school committee seat are eliminated in the primaries. Every one of the NBC candidates won the September primary.

The Liberal Union singled out Miss Fitzgerald for support on the basis of her record and because the members felt "she needed the manpower they could offer." She is the only candidate for Boston office ever sponsored by the Americans for Democratic Action, with which the HLU is affiliated.

Right up through the election, HLU members will continue to show up at Miss Fitzgerald's campaign headquarters where they are put to work canvassing. Most of this activity take place in South and Southeast Boston where her supporters believe Miss Fitzgerald has won favor from her social work on behalf of minority groups.

Sound Trucks

More sound truck work as well as duty at the polls are in the offing for Liberal Union members on election day. Active in organizing Fitzgerald's campaign are Roy F. Gootenberg '49, Teaching Fellow in Government, Walter C. Carrington '52, president of the HLU, and Lewis L. C. Smith '54, political action chairman.

The HLU plans more extensive work for the coming national elections, but has not yet decided what candidates it will support. A long process of investigation and reporting will precede this decision--expected early next spring.

Young Republicans are already helping the State Republican headquarters organize clippings and data on voting records of possible state candidates for the 1952 elections. The HYRC will hold a mock convention in the spring to decide whom they will support for President.

Last June, Harvard delegates to the Young Republican National Convention held in Boston lead a successful fight to elect as national YR president an outspoken Eisenhower supporter. In this significant victory, an acknowledged Taft man was defeated.

Gordon Poole '49, delegate from California, Roger A. Moore '53, delegate from Massachusetts, and Earl Kulp '52, delegate from Michigan, sparked the drive to elect President Herbert Warton of Delaware. According to Kulp this was the first test of strength of the opposing Taft and Eisenhower forces.

HYRC delegates won praise from their fellow Republicans of other Universities who cited their "administrative ability" and "political perspicacity" as "unmatched by any other group functioning at the convention."

The Law Democrats, whose election work is being supervised by club president Robert S. Persky 3L, also plans further work in the next election. The organization, chartered in the spring of 1950, has no counterpart in the College.