Evening star., 1924-06-22
DEMOCRAT CHIEFS
VIEW BITTER ROWS
WITH UNEAS|NESS
Controversial Issues Far
From Conducive to
Harmony.
THREE AMONG LESSER
LIGHTS FORGE TO TOP
Davis, Glass and Ralston Gain
While McAdoo-Smith Battle
Grows Hot,
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN,
Stnff Correspondent of The Star.

Staff Correspondent of The Star.
NEW YORK, June 21.-A hurry cal
for the dove of peace at this the cen
ter of Democratic activities OF tn'
country is expected to materlallze
Incoming delegates are startled a
the bitterness of the pre-conventior
struggle now going on between the
contendng factions. The religion:
question, the klan question, the We
and dry question-which, it appears
is to be the eternal question" al
though the country thought it hat
decided that several years ago-have
all raised their heads, and unless the
brakes are applied soon there is nc
telling what will happen to the De-
mocracy.
The Democrats believe they have a
chance to win the coming national
elections. Not unnaturally. they are
anxious to select a candidate who
can win. Judging from the amount
of space devoted to the candidacy OF
Gov. AL Smith of New York in the
New York newspapers. some persons
must be fooling themselves. They
really are not fooling many of the
delegates, however. The delegates
have few illusions as to whether the
Democratic party could win with the
wet hope" at the head of the ticket
McAdoo vigorously Fought.
The McAdoo forces came to New
York declaring that their candidate
was the only Simon pure progressive
in the lot. But the opposition-which
includes the Smith, Underwood and
all dark horse groups, not to mention
a considerable number of other inf1u-
ential Democrats, who really believe
that the nomination of Mr.. McAdoo
would be playing into the hands of
the Republicans-have not agreed to
any such proposition.
The three so-called dark horses who
are receiving the greatest amount of
attention at present are John w.
Davis of West Virginia and New
York, Senator Ralston of Indiana and
Senator Glass of Virginia. Davis and
Glass are and were strong Wilson
Democrats. Whether Mr.. McAdoo is
willing to admit that they are suffi-
GENTLY progressive to stand the acid
test remains to be seen. The talk
here has been that the McAdoo
strength will ultimately go largely to
Senator Glass If it becomes evident
that Mr. McAdoo cannot win. Many
of the delegates today are talking
about a final showdown between Raj
ston and Davis of West Virginia for
the big prize
Khan Opposition Fades.
But the progressively inclined are
saying also that to select either one
of these candidates would be to set
I'D a ticket which would be regarded
as almost as conservative as the Re
publican ticket OF course, a candi-
date for the Vice Presidency of a
more progressive hue might be found
as a running mate for either Ralston
or Davis.
Despite the vigorous demands made
by Underwood and Smith followers
particularly Brennan of Illinois and
Moore of Ohio-for a strong anti
Khan plank, the feeling is growing
here that any such plank will be
about as colorless as the plank adopt
ed by the Republicans at Cleveland
The McAdoo people have become
enormously rritated over the persist
Ant attempts to label MIR. McAdoo as
the Khan candidate for the nomina-
tion. To such an extent that state
was put out today through the New
ENGLAND manager for McAdoo, as
emanating from Judge Rockwell, the
national manager, denying that Mr.
McAdoo bears any such label and de-
cIarine his stand in favor of freedom
of right of all citizens to believe and
worship under the Constitution as
they see fit.
$500 to Attend Banquet.
New York, it must be admitted
does things on a large scale. Who
ever heard of banquet at which
? 500 guests will be seated outside OF
e,ew York? Tomorrow night the del
eeates. alternates and political lead
ers generally will be the guests OF
the city at a dinner given at the
Commodore Hotel. Plans have been
made to seat the guests in tiers In
the order of their distinction. They
will be divided into three lasses-the
celebrated guests. the distinguish ed
guests, and the plain guests. The
first group will occupy the highest
tier and the second the middle tier
while the third will be seated on the
lowest level. The reason of this ar
rangement is to bring about the
greatest degree of visibility of the
eelebrated and distinguished guests
Mayor Hylan will deliver the key
note speech at the dinner.
Flag Decoration Basis.
The American flag is to be the basis
Of the decorations at the convention
hall, famous old Madison Square Gar
den.
. Three thousand five hundred flags
of all sizes will be used in the dec
orations of the hall, and 10000 more
small flags will be released from the
ceiling on the opening day of the
convention. They will be caught in
a powerful suction draft and hang
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