Stevenson Takes 'Cliffe Straw Poll

Radcliffe undergraduates yesterday designated Adlai E. Stevenson their choice for President.

Results of a CRIMSON poll, tabulated last night, gave Stevenson 342 votes--55.6 percent of the votes cast. Dwight D. Eisenhower received 265 votes, Vincent Hallinan (Progressive Party candidate) got four, and Robert A. Taft one. Seven students were undecided.

Over 60.3 percent of the Annex's 1,006 undergraduates participated in the straw vote poll.

In actual voting, however, the 'Cliffe will support Eisenhower. Only seven percent of those polled yesterday plan to go to the polls this November; of these 33 girls favor Stevenson, while 35 prefer his opponent.

The Radcliffe administration attributed this sparce anticipated turnout partly to the fact that only about a fourth of the Annex students are over 21 and eligible to vote. Residence and absentee ballot requirements were also factors. The majority of those that will vote are seniors.

This is the first CRIMSON straw vote Presidential poll. The results of the University-wide poll will be published on October 29, the faculty poll two days later.

Henry, Peach, and Cabot were the "Republican strongholds." Eisenhower showed the largest margin in Peach House (9 to 2), while Cabot Hall voted Republican, 42 to 40. Henry (3 to 2) had the poorest political turnout of any house with only 2) percent casting ballots.

Democratic Trend

The two candidates tied in Gilman House (10 to 10) and with the commuters (40 to 40); otherwise the Halls went Democratic. Stevenson eclipsed Eisenhower in Edmands House, seven votes to none.

The Stevenson victory is a reversion to the previous Radcliffe political trend after the 1948 sharp turn-about when the Annex went strongly Republican and cast 281 votes for Thomas E. Dewey to 61 for President Truman. In 1944, 1940, and 1936, Radcliffe students supported Franklin D. Roosevelt '04 and the Democratic party.

The Progressive Party has lost ground at the 'Cliffe; in 1948, 43 votes went to Wallace, but this fall Hallinan got only four votes.

A hall by hall summary of the Radcliffe Poll appears on page two.