Evening star., 1923-10-10
DRAFTS WILL HAYS
/. TO OGETDEM0CRATS
New York SO Eager for Con-
venti0n Non-Partisan Com
mittee Is Named.
BY ROBERT II. SMALL.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
NEW YORK, October 10.-New York
city at last is making q serious ef-
fort to get a national political con-
vention, and If wealth and determi-
nation count for anything the metrop-
oils is going after the democratic
gathering of 1924 with a distinct ad
vantage over several of the other
competitors.
New York ordinarily is disdainful
of conventions, although many hum
dreds of them arc held here, almost
unheard and unseen, every year. IL
is just that quality of being "swal-
lowed up" that has kept the political
conclaves away from the big town.
The national nominating cohVen-
tionS have great advertising Eaiue TOT
the parties. 'Keynotes" OF the COM
ing battles are sounded there, and
great orators and spellbinders are
given ample opportunity to point
with pride" and view with alarm
But what is the use of All TINS tal.
if the convention is regarded as just
an incident of everyday life, as New
York regards most of the conventions
held here.
Success Promised Democrats.
But all of this is to be changed. It
is promised that if the democrats Will
hold their convention here next year
the wheels OF the old town will stop
turning. If necessary, to make IL q
that plenty of opportunity will be
given for street parades and band
concerts.
Fifth avenue will be roped off for
the political walkers and the boomers
and the boosters. 1t is promised tnat
nd H.
asm of an old time political gather-
ing will be lost. AS a matter or fact
New York city today is all broken
out with promises-if the democrats
will only listen to reason and the
jangling of tremendously Dig purse
to defray all the costs of their gather
ing, with perhaps tidy sum ieft over
for campaign purposes.
New York is so anxious for the
democratic convention that 1t has Or
ganized non partisan comnlttee 10
the name of Will II. Hays. one-time
chairman of the republican national
committee. is on the executive com
mittee to bring the democrats TO the
They say Will Hays Is a
''go-getter, so New YORK Is piuoiiis
him ''go.'
After q. o. l.. Session, Too.
There is no disposition to make the
republicans feel sighted because OF
ali this attention to the democrats.
The men behind the present move
ment say they will go just as nara
after the republican convention OF
1925. 1t is taken for granted here
that the G.. O. p. will meet as usuai
next wear in the home town of Fred
W. Cpham, the national treasurer.
Fred Upham likes New York pretty
Well so when 1T comes tlne TOT me me
1925 gathering to be pledged, the
folks Of this town are going TO ask
Fred please to let the republicans
come here just once, anyway; tnen
Chicago can have them again IN 1855.
Many persons may not know II, put
a change is coming over New YORK.
The old town actually is getting
sort of Main street complex. on
hear people talking every day about
civic pride and all that sort OF thlng-
Boost New York" say signs in the
subway, and on tho elevated. II the
thing keeps up It won't be long now
before New York sends a special tram
Of boosters into the south and
west. urging every one to come gaze
upon the wonder city" and do their
shopping here. early and late.
Room Vital Que stion.
OF course right now you have 70
fight for room at any one OF the
more popular hotels. so IT any moro
persons came to the wonder city the
wonder would he where TO put them
Nothing in particular seems to be go
ing on, but the crowds OF out-of-toWr
folk are here and the tavernkeepers
say apparently they have just come
for a good time.
The convention committee. already
formed and functioning, has pledged
the hotel keepers, who say they VIII
not only provide plenty OF room for
the convention delegates and Vis-
itors. but that they viii not raise
prices one penny. New York's pride
is aroused. 1t wants a. national
political convention and won't be
happy till it gets one.
Sees Atlanta as Rival.
The competitors New York fears
most are San Francisco and Atlanta
Cleveland was regarded as holding a
front place in the ranks, but Of late
nothing much has been heard from
the Ohio metropolis.
that some of the politicians VIII hold
up their hands at coming here be
cause of possible "Tammany influ-
ence" and a further possible stam'
pcde for New York's own AL Smith
That Is why the "go-getting" commit.
tee is partisan. And. anyway, Al
Smith tells his best friends that nc
one is "fooling' him at all with this
talk about the presidency. New York
is AIS idea of heaven, not Washing
ton.
Copyright, 1923.