The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-20
BEWARE ovERCoNFIDENcE

ditions is sure to be disastrous. In colloquial language one may say that it is all right for us to kid the opposi- ton, but we must not kid ourselves. For example, the Birmingham News exhibits editorial animosity towards Mr. McAdoo's candidacy, an attitude assumed in even a more extreme de- gree by the Montgomery Advertiser, which is under the same management. The News declares that Mr. Under derwood is sure of the "bolk of the Southern vote" and "seme of the Western votes," while having already practically secured the East; yet, in the very same edition of the Evening News Mir. Mark Sullivan, canny ob- server of political conditions, publishes the arresting statement that "the present appearance is that MT. Me- Adoo will have rather more of the Southern delegates than MT. Under wood" Mir Sullivan comedies to Un- derwood the states of Alabama and Mississippi with perhaps the bulk of the Florida vote, but he perceives con- siderable contest in Georgia, where McAdoo was born.
 According to this sanfe Evening News article: Underwood is likely to do better than McAdoo in Tennessee. Kentucky is another state in which there will be an acute contest. In practically. all the other Southern and border states the friends of McAdoo seem more entrenched in power and more capable of naming McAdoo -delev gates than the friends of Underwood. In other words, the supporters of MT. Underwood's candidacy should not al low themselves to be deceived, but should accurately measure the relative strength of the two candidates and work consistently and definitely to keep the supporters of other candi- dates in friendly mood. As to the West, MT. Sullivan says that "at the present writing MT. McAdoo seems destined to get the bulk of the delegates from west of the Missis- sippi river"
 Although the Evening News is con- yinced that in the East MT. Under wood will have it all his own way, yet MT. Sullivan in the same issue takes decidedly the contrary opinion and I-,I I, of sition formerly existing to McAdoo has died down, so that, when Al. Smiths New York supporters are forced finally to abandon their favorite son, the chances are that they will throw the weight of their support to MT. McAdoo. The same is true of Penn- sylvania. New Jersey will probably stick with New York. In Indiana Sul- livan declares that "Thomas Taggart will not be sufficiently implacable to McAdoo to cause him to stand out if it should appear that majority of the convention wants McAdoo, :. and can hardly be depended on to join last-ditch coalition against McAdoo."
 It is certain that those working in the interests of MT. McAdoo are dis counting their strength and not ex- aggerating it, and are taking no chances whatever on going into the convention with one pledge less than they can possibly obtain. So, accord ing to Sullivan, flor the present it is a case of McAdoo against the field" with Underwood the leader in the field. This same writer estimates the present division of 1,094 votes as standing 450 for McAdoo, 225 for Un- derwood and the rest divided among Smith, Ralston, Ford and others. AL though McAdoo's present strength IS far less than he will need, yet his sup porters hold the balance of power and can nominate any man to whom later they should throw their united strength. Instead. of casting any re- Elections upon MT. McAdoo, the friends of Underwood should diligently seek delegates on the indisputable merits of MT. Underwood, and not on criticism of his rivals, just as Mir. Underwood himself is doing and as, no doubt, he would counsel his advo- cates to do.
 The convention is not going to be a walkover for any man, but Underwood and McAdoo stand out above allthe others. The choice must fall upon one of these men, or else upon some one whom the majority of delegates evi- dently do not now want. The advice of MT. Sullivan on this point is identi- cal with that offered by The Age Herald of Sunday, October 21, when this newspaper said: "What MT. Uu- derwood's real friends should do is to seek the friendly and harmonious in- terests of the present supporters Of other candidates, and not antagonize those whose support is necessary if success is to come to our candidate. The Age Herald has not been able to observe where any supporters of other candidates have other than sought the friendly support of the friends of Mr. Underwood, in all instances refraining from any measure of criticism of Ala