Kennedy? 'Inconceivable'

Arthur Schlesinger Jr. believes it is "inconceivable" that Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) will enter any Democratie Presidential primaries next year. Schlesinger expressed this belief during informal talks with a group of reporters yesterday afternoon at the local headquarters for Sen. George McGovern's Presidential campaign. Schlesinger is a special adviser to the South Dakota Democrat's drive for his party's nomination. "The only possible way he (Kennedy) might enter is through a deadlock at the convention," Schlesinger said. "I don't foresee Kennedy and McGovern competing with each other in primaries." Some observers believe that McGovern is a potential "stalking horse" for Kennedy and that his support, which includes a number of 1968 backers of Sen. Eugene McCarthy and Robert F. Kennedy, will switch to the Massachusetts senator if and when he announces his candidacy. Schlesinger did his best to squelch those reports, both with his statements about a possible Kennedy candidacy and his cautious optimism about the McGovern campaign. "This proves what the national press has said," he commented. "The McGovern campaign is the best organized of them all. Wherever I go, I see offices." He was asked how important organization was, ia light of McGovern's relatively poor showing in the polls so far. "It doesn't hurt," he said. "Making sure the people know the candidate and what he stands for is very important. Unlike some of the other candidates, he hasn't made a national race before. That's a handicap that must be overeóme and organization is one way to do it." Schlesinger, who served on Adlai Stevenson's staff in 1952 and 1956 and also worked for John Kennedy in 1960, I missed the polls' evaluation of McGovern's popularity. "I don't think the polls measure what the relevant consituency is,'' he said. "They represent the opinions of about 1,800 people. What is needed is a sample of the people who are likely to vote in. the Democratie primaries." Schlesinger cited blacks, women, Chicanos, "political activists and issue-oriented people" as those who would cast their ballots in the primaries. "hTe old-time organi2ations won't dominate the primaries like they used to," he said. He felt McGovern would draw support from these groups and said the candidate also has "strong support in the university community and among the young in general. When you have about 25 million potential first-time voters, that's very important. "He also has great strength in the farm belt, which is unusual for a Democrat. He's also strong among the veterans, having sponsored legislation providing benefíts for Vietnam vets comparable to those provided for veterans of World War II."