Republicans seek Willkie support
Backing is sought by campaigners for Governor Dewey; weeks approached
Albany, New York (AP) –
An oblique effort to draw Wendell L. Willie into camp moved forward today as supporters of Governor Thomas E. Dewey bid publicly for campaign cooperation from Congressional and senatorial candidates.
Although the GOP presidential nominee carefully avoided any appearance of soliciting Willkie’s backing, he gave the strategy left-handed approval by including Senator Sinclair Weeks, longtime Willkie enthusiast, in a list of Massachusetts Republicans invited to confer with him here Monday on campaign plans.
Headed by House Majority Leader Joseph Martin, the list of Massachusetts visitors includes Congressmen seeking reelection and candidates such as Governor Leverett Saltonstall. The latter is running from the seat vacated by Senator Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., when he went into the Army and filled temporarily by Weeks. Weeks is not a candidate.
Cake is chosen
Dewey insisted there was no significance in the Weeks invitation, but in New York, National Chairman Herbert Brownell Jr. capped this move by naming both Weeks and Ralph Cake of Oregon on a 15-member executive committee. Cake was Willkie’s campaign manager before the latter quit the presidential race after the April Wisconsin primary.
Appraised of this action, Weeks said both he and Clarke had told Governor Dewey they would do anything they could to help him win the election.
Sprague heads group
The executive group named by Brownell is headed by New York National Committeeman J. Russell Sprague, who is generally regarded as Dewey’s No. 1 strategist and is one of the few of the inner circle of Dewey advisers who has maintained cordial relations with Willkie.
Other executive committee members include Mrs. Worthington Scranton of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Reeve Schley of New Jersey, Mrs. Robert F. Archibald Jr. of Colorado, Clarence J. Brown of Ohio, Mrs. Chris Carlson of Minnesota, Col. R. B. Creager of Texas, Harry Darby of Kansas, Mrs. W. P. Few of North Carolina, Harvey Jewett Jr. of South Dakota, Barak T. Mattingly of Missouri, Carroll Reece of Tennessee and Mrs. Jessie Williamson of California.