Peace candidate Robert F. Drinan, S.J., appeared to be on his way to Washington as the next representative of the Third Congressional district when he arrived at the West Newton Armory at 1:50 a.m. this morning to thank his supporters for their loyalty and paticuce.

"This is one of the most remarkable stories in the whole history of American polities," he announced to their resounding cheers. "What you've done since February 14, what you've done in the last 49 days, provides us with every reason for success."

Drinan's staff was predicting victory over Congressman Philip J. Philbin, vice-chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Republican challenger John McGlennon. McGlennon was showing surprising strength in the three-way contest, capturing many of the anti-Drinan votes that might have given Philbin another term.

Over 3000 Drinan volunteers crowded the West Newton Armory in hopes of celebrating their candidate's victory. One out of every five Newton voters had been listed as a Drinan volunteer during the course of the campaign, and the widely varying composition of the crowd-from twelve year-old teeny-boppers to seasoned leaders of the Massachusetts peace movement, including Harvard assistant pro-fessor of Social Studies Martin H. Peretz-underscored Drinan's liberal base.

Their long vigil climaxed an even longer uphill struggle in which Drinan barely managed to wrest the Democratic nomination from 72-year-old incumbent Philbin by winning the September 15 primary, only to face a Philbin write-in campaign as well as moderate Republican opponent McGlennon.

While Drinan attempted to broaden his image as a peace candidate by addressing himself to a whole range of national problems, both the hawkish Philbin and the rather more evasive McGlennon accused Drinan of hypocrisy and extremism.

Drinan's staff feared that a strong showing by Philbin in the Western half of the district, including the factory towns of Fitchburg and Leominster, would offset Drinan's advantage in suburban Newton, Waltham, and Watertown.

But when McGlennon grabbed much of Philbin's strength particularly in the eastern precincts, Drinan appeared to have the needed margin of victory.