The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-05

new poet laureate Of one of our new est and most resourceful states.
 PRESS ON OSCAR UNDERWOOD
 The editors of the country for the most part have good word for Oscar Underwood of Alabama. If he has foes, it appears that they are mainly of his own household, so to speak, with the antagonism principally based on indefensible grounds. The press of Alabama is almost unit in supporting him, however, as Is also the majority sentiment in the state. When the cam paign warns up, the Republican jour nals will probably recede somewhat from their admiring comment, but if the Republicans are to be defeated, they would apparently take it with greater grace from Underwood than any other. The people of Alabama take sincere pride in being able to of- fer to the public service man whose qualifications even his political ene- mics have long admitted.
 Contrasting the expressions of Hi ram Johnson on Europe with those of Underwood, the Philadelphia Public Ledger says of the former: Senator Johnson has wasted the time and money he spent in Europe. He knew all he cared to know about it before he sailed and he brings back exactly what he took with him. His return from-Europe speech is a paraphrase of his last labored denunciation of the league some months ago." As to Un- derwood, on the other hand, the Ledger continues: con the day Sena- tor Johnson spoke in New York Sena- tor Underwood spoke in Birmingham. He, too, has been in Europe this sum- mer. His text was the text of the Californian, but his views are vastly different. He is a Conservative of the Conservative South, neither Progress sive nor forward looker,' but he has not forgotten the great aspirations and the heights of idealism this na- ton reached in 1918. Senator Under wood is talking a saner Americanism than is Senator Johnson. The Ameri- canism of Underwood is that of mil lions in both Democratic and Republi- can parties. It is not the parochial, provincial, geographical and selfish patriotism of the man from California, but it is bigger and better for Amer ica and the world Americans live in." This tribute should make Alabamians feel very good indeed.
 In respect to the same speech the Baltimore Sun thinks that MT. Under wood "seems to be cautiously, if not tinnidly, feeling his way, rather than assuming a role of bold leadership" :" While there are many who take the opposite view from that expressed by the Sun, it may be said that caution is not a bad principle to follow along line where so many have failed. The Sun commends the positiveness of Johnson, forgetful of the fact that the positiveness of Johnson and his ilk has kept us aloof and hindered the very progress the Sun would like to behold.
 Although, in his speech before the Alabama legislature, MT. Underwood expressed his conviction that the time has come for the South to demand DO litical recognition in the widest de- gree, the. Cleveland Plain Dealer makes this rejoinder: Senator Un- derwood is one of the ablest men in the national government, clear-vis- toned, ripened by political experience, one who has devoted his life to public service, a patriot and statesman. But he comes from Alabama. It is not complimentary to the American cleo torate to say so, but it is very doubtful whether the North with it's preponder- ance of votes is yet ready to confer the presidency on man from the South, no matter how conspicuous his fitness for the office may be. Ulti- mately we shall be able to overlook geography in picking presidents, but we fear not in MT. Underwood's life time." As to the prohibition question the Plain Dealer continues: "It would be unfair to call the senator wet, for he is not; none the less, a country thoroughly convinced of the merit of prohibition would hesitate to choose for president one who stood on the wrong side of the fence when the fifty-year fight for a dry America came to it's crisis" It is we'll to get such frank opinion from the North, for it shows the friends of MT. Under wood along what lines they will have to fight.
 The Knoxville Sentinel regrets that