JAMES A. FARLEY - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 06/09/1964 - HFSID 290307

JAMES FARLEY
As a Coca-Cola executive in 1964, the former Democratic Party kingpin is still offering election predictions: "The Republicans are in for quite a beating."
Typed Letter signed: ""Jim", 1 page, 8x10. New York, N.Y., 1964 June 9. On letterhead of the Coca Cola Export Corporation to Robert R. Gros, Vice President, Pacific Gas and Electric, San Francisco, California. In full: "I am sorry I have been so long delayed in replying to your letter of May 26th but have been completely deluged with baseball mail and other correspondence, and am still trying to dig out from under. It was very thoughtful of you to take the time and trouble to write me on my birthday and I greatly appreciate it. After you pass three score and ten, the ones that follow are taken in stride but the most pleasant feature of it is the many hundreds of messages I received not only from friends in the United States, but from all parts of the world. I, too, am sorry I did not have an opportunity to visit with you the morning I saw you in the Waldorf and hope the next time we can have a really long chat. It was interesting to note that the longhand note you wrote me from Hong Kong last summer was finally returned to you. Thank you for your reference to Mr. Henningsen who would have been happy to meet you if he had had an opportunity to do so. He has a fine son and is a fine person. I have glad that you found Coca-Cola available in most parts of the world you traveled. I note in your letter you indicate that Cranston would beat Salinger. I did not know much about the situation but could not for the life of me see how Salinger could win - it must have been the Kennedy influence. Goldwater's victory was a surprise to many people in California because of the reports circulating around that he was losing ground. I do not see how they can fail to nominate him but the Republicans are in for quite a beating and not only the ticket will lose, but also the legislative, city and state offices in the Northern states. This could be a bad defeat for them and President Johnson's victory could be comparable to President Roosevelt's in 1932 when he carried forty-two out of forty-eight states. It was good to hear from you and I hope the next time you come this way we can get together for breakfast, lunch or dinner. With best regards, Sincerely yours". New York Democratic politician James A. Farley (1888-1976) ran the successful gubernatorial campaigns of Al Smith and Franklin Roosevelt, and FDR's first two Presidential campaign. Among the first to make systematic use of modern polling techniques, Farley was a major architect of Roosevelt's New Deal coalition which turned the Democratic Party into the majority party. Hewas appointed Chairman of the Democratic National Committee(1932) and Postmaster-General (1933), holding both posts until disagreeing with FDR about running for a third term in 1940. (He later served on the Hoover Commission, whose suggestions included the two-term limit on Presidents which became the XXII Amendment.Farley served as for 30 years as President of Coca-Cola Export Corporation, doing much to make Coke an internationally popular drink. He even got Coca-Cola defined as a "war priority item" during World War II, on the grounds the beverage boosted morale. Multiple mailing folds. Paper clip imprint at top left corner. Otherwise, fine condition.