Clashing Factions Block Selection Of City's Mayor

For the third time in eight years, Cambridge's mayoralty election has become a knock-down, drag-out fight between warring factions in the City Council. The issue is not likely to be resolved at this afternoon's meeting, four councillors agreed last night.

After the first six ballots for mayor taken over the past two weeks, independent councillor Edward J. Sullivan is in the lead with four votes, one shy of the necessary five. The fifth independent, Thomas M. McNamara, has consistently withheld his vote from Sullivan in hopes that he himself may become mayor. The four Civic Association councillors have abstained in the voting thus far.

At today's council meeting, the CCA block will continue to abstain, CCA-endorsed Councillor Edward A. Crane '35 said last night, in order to give the independent majority "another go at electing the mayor." If they fail, Crane added, the CCA block would cast its four votes for one of their number, probably Crane himself or Joseph A. DeGuglielmo '29, and give some independent a chance to resolve the issue by supporting a CCA man. Crane doubted however, that any independent would vote for a CCA man.

Two years ago, a similar deadlack developed, to be resolved only by the CCA block supporting an independent--John J. Foley--after 160 fruitless ballots had been cast. In 1948, thousands of ballots were cast before Thomas J. Neville was finally elected mayor in late April.