The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-12-11
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION BEHIND ROBSON IN RACE
 AGAINST w. B. BANKHEAD
MYSTERY BIDS FAIR TO BE SOLVED, ACCORDING TO AUTHORITATIVE INFORMAL TION-CANDIDACY OF ROBSON AGAINST WISHES OF STATE ANTI-SALOON LEAGUE
By LEON c. BRADLEY

Why did Capt R. P Hobson. rest dent of Tuxedo Park. N. T., run for Congress from the Tenth district In the last primary?
 That has been one of the political mysteries of Alabama for months. and the best political observers of the state have been at loss to explain his action in that matter.
 But the question now bids fair to be solved. After many months of doubt and conjecture. information considered authoritative has come to light This race of Hobson, generally credited with having given his political amb- tions backset from which he may not recover for some years. was shock and a surprise to political stu- dents throughout the state
 When it was first announced in The Age-Herald a year ago that Hobson would probably oppose W. B Bank head for Congress in the Tenth dis trict politicians were at loss to un- derstand the situation and their cred ulty was strained to the utmost to believe that he contemplated such step. His friends and advisers in Ala bama hastened to deny that the cap- tain was contemplating any such &C., tion and all denied that he had even broached the matter to them. In fact, it was stated and proved that he had not even set foot on Alabama soil since his defeat for the Senate two years previous by oscar Underwood
 FRIENDS NOT CONSULTED
 tt,a His friends and supporters in this state had not been consulted. He had not canvassed the district as his warmest supporters testified at the time. Yet from his home in Tuxedo Park. N. T., he boldly and confidently threw his hat in the ring" and plunged into the fight His action proved a surprise to his friends in this state and the prominent leaders in the prohibition cause in Alabama were at loss to understand his action.
 Jnasmuch as Bankhead had assured the prohibition leaders in this state that he would support the dry meas ures presented to Congress the Anti Saloon league of Alabama had no fight to make against him. In fact, several of them had assured Bankhead that the league would take no hand in s.rw fight which he might have to secure a seat in Congress should he be op- posed by another prohibitionist. The sudden announcement of Hobson for the place was a complete surprise to them as it was to most of the resi- dents of the Tenth district to which he had transferred his residence from New York by mail.
 LEADERS TAKE CHARGE
 It has since developed. however. that the candidacy of Hobson was due to ha 1sricb of ha m a loon league. The national organiza- ton, acting without consulting the state league induced the captain to make the race. according to reliable informa tion which has just been re- ceived. Dr. Perler A. Baker of Ohio. national president. and other of the leading officials of the dry forces in the country took charge of the Ala bama situation without consulting Ala bama leaders
 As result. many of the prohibit ton leaders in Alabama took no in terest in the campaign and lent no aid to Captain Hobson. Some were inclined to resent the activity of tho national organization and some open ly expressed the opinion that tac- tical error had been committed. Dr. Baker and others of the national leaders who visited Alabama during the campaign were so confident of the easy victory of Hobson that st'ey en- couraged him to carry out his pre- viously arranged plans and spend two weeks in Texas Some of his Alabama friends strongly advised against such a move, but being supremely confi- dent of success. he declined to spend his time in this state. The result of the race in which Hobson was defeat
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