Evening star., 1924-10-17
YOUNG T.R. FIGHTS
TO HOLD HIS OWN
GubernatoriaI Campaign Di-
reCted to Prove Candidate
Is More Than a Name.
BY ROBERT r. SMALL.

ing to stand ION his own" and not
10 be considered fit for office merely
because he bears his fathers name,
young Col. Theodore Roosevelt is MAX
ung an uphill fight to be the next Gov
ernor of New Yor That his whole life's
ambition centers in the success of the
present campaign he freely admits.
His friends say the governorship
would be but a steppng-stone
eventually to the White House. De-
feat in the present campaign, how
ever, might wreck forever the political
future of the young aspirant for an
other of the offices his father once
filled
Old-time leaders of the Republican
party admit the nomination of young
Ted," as they call him, was very
much of gamble, but they feel
now he probably will prove as good
a vote getter as they could possibly
have selected. TheNwanted some one
with imagination, some one with an
especial appeal to the people, to Off
set the Statewide popularity of GOV
Al Smith, whose political assets are
not discounted by his experienced
opponents.
Nation Is Interested.
National interest is being mani
Tested in the campaign of young T.
r., which is proving one of the most
unique ever made The effort of the
Republican managers is to get young
Roosevelt in personal contact with
as many voters as possible. He is
being rushed about the State on a
special train. with stops at anywhere
from 10 to 20 towns and villages in
Il day and with just that many 5
and 10 minute speeches.
During most of his journeys Col.
Roosevelt has been accompanied by a
Spellbinder" of the old school. Frank
w. Mondell of Wyoming, former lead
er of the House of Representatives in
Washington. has done the heavy
work on the part of the tour; Sena-
tor James w. Wadsworth. who did
more than any one else to insure the
nomination of Col. Roosevelt, is de-
pended upon to do the heavy firing
through the latter stages of the cam
paign.
The Republican plan, frankly stated,
Is to sell the personality of young
Roosevelt Al Smiths fling, that the
Republicans had nominated name"
and nothing else, admittedly is back
of the plan. Col. Roosevelt himself
has said to the voters look me over"
and this virtually has become the
. slogan of his sponsors. The young
coloners campaign is as strenuous as
any his father ever undertook, but he
IS being accompanied day and night
by his wife, whom he invariably in
1roduceS to the station throngS that
greet his train as it sweeps through
the northern stretches of the State.
The colonel is physically fit, having
inherited his fathers belief in pre-
paredness in that direction.
Fighting Natural Traits.
Young Roosevelt has been facing a
difficult situation. His political
critics have been ready to pounce
upon any word or facial expression
which they might construe as an imi-
tation of the late President and Ted"
has found himself in the position of
unconsciously fighting against per-
fectly natural family traits and man
uers which have been handed down
TO him just the same strain runs
through less conspicuous families.
1t would seem to the casual OBJ
server that the hackers of young
Roosevelt are carrying their effort to
divorce him from his family infiu-
ence a trifie too far. Some of those
who have introduced him have said
that he has seen more of actual war
fare than his father ever dreamed of.
They have recited that the Navy De-
Dartment over which the young
Roosevelt has presided as assistant
secretary, is d vastly different, more
complicated and greater piece of ma
Chinery than the department Roose-
Welt, the elder, presided over in a
.sjmilar capacity. The statements are
true enough, but the politicians have
overlooked the many pitfalls ant dis
paragements of comparison.
Has Splendid Voice.
Young Roosevelt has d big booming
voice-much heavier than his fathers,
but it breaks occa Sonally with the same
falsetto squeak the one-time President
used to so much advantage in emphasiZ-
ing a point. The present candidate for
governor is not the experienced cam
paigner that his father was he is just
learning the art; he is only 81. But the
young man takes to politics like duck
to water. He has adopted it as his
career He likes the stunts of the
game. He grinned the famous Roose-
welt grin when, decked out in butchers
apron, he was given a side of barbecued
meat to carve for a score of persons.
He is d great handshaker, and Mrs.
Roosevelt is. too.
Ted knows he has a hard job in his
attempt to defeat AL Smith he knows
the betting is to against his chances
of success, but he is throwing all he has
got into the fight, and every one who
has seen him in action must admit that
he is having a "bully time"