ODT insists on Chicago
Tells Spangler City has more Pullmans for convention travel
Washington (AP) – (Dec. 31)
The Office of Defense Transportation has reinforced its proposal that both major political parties hold their 1944 conventions in Chicago with a statement that more than three times as many sleeping cars arrive daily at the Illinois city than at any other Midwest point.
In reply to an inquiry from Harrison E. Spangler, chairman of the Republican National Committee, seeking a “list of other cities which might be used with the least interference with our transportation problem,” H. F. McCarthy, director of the ODT’s Division of Traffic Movement, said:
Indicative of Chicago’s dominance is the following table showing the number of beds in regular-line sleeping cars terminating at various favorably located cities:
Chicago 11,368 New York 7,129 St. Louis 3,240 Detroit 1,528 Kansas City 1,279 Cleveland 1,235
McCarthy added that:
The supply of sleeping cars is extremely limited, all available extra cars being dedicated to troop train service.