Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-07-26
POLITICAL PARTIES
TOLOOSE MILLIONS
IN 1924 CAMPAIGN
Radio Speeches at $40 a
Minute to Be Big Item
for Candidates
BY ROBERT r. SMALL
Special Leased Wire to The Journal.
(Copyrlgut, 1924.

WASHINGTON, July 24-P1ans
being made for the presidential
campaign this year contemplate
probably the largest expenditure of
money in the history of politics
The use of money in prediction
fights no longer carries with 1t the
faint of corruption. Legitimate eX-
penses have grown greater and
greater as the years have gone by
and the high cost of living has hit
the hustings as we'll as the home.
Senator Borah, of idaho, chair
man of the senate committee when
is to report campaign expenditures
expects to have busy time of 1t
between now and early November,
for all the committees have decided
to emulate the example of Chairman
Butler. Of the Republicans, and give
Mr. Borah detailed reports from
| time to time as the campaign pro-
crosses.
Announcement that the indie
pendent Progressives, headed by
Senator La Toilette and Senator
Wheeler, are going to attempt to
raise a campaign fund of at least
100000, gives some inkling OF
what the aggregate expenditures OF
the campaign may be. This is far
more than the Democrats were able
to obtain in 1920. The Democrats
practically starved to death that
year while the Republicans reyeled
in plenty.
$15,OOO,OO0 Expense Bill
This year the Democrats are hope
full that things will be different.
They may easily raise campaign
fund of 100000. The Republicans
may raise even more, so there is
reason to believe that in the ma
tional political strongboxes there
will be gathered approximately $15,-
900, 900 for electioneering purposes.
Radio, an entirely new expense in
national campaigns, will get the
lions share of the expenditure, ac-
cording to present plans. Inc
broadcasting companies are going to
reap a real harvest and get back
some of the sum they have srent
in developing this art of communica-
ton. Thus far there has been no
attempt to standardiZe the political
! charges for broadcasting, other than
preliminary statement by the
American Telephone and Telegraph
company that it expected to get $40
a minute and to limit speeches to
ten minutes duration.
This time limit is proposed not
alone for the benefit of the listeners
| in. but for the politicians as we'll.
The broadcasting agencies know their
invisible audiences. They know they
will not listen patiently to any per-
son for much more than ten minutes.
In all political audiences there is
large percentage of persons who
walk out on the candidate soon after
he begins to talk. How much easier
it will be for the radio listeners to
turn the knob and cut short the best
Of the orators. The radio people be-
lieve they can give the politicians the
best value by limiting them sharply
in the amount of time they can con.
sumo on the air.
Overdose Feared
Furthermore, it is feared that too
much politics would drive the listen
ers from the head phones and the
loud speakers. Radio audiences
crave variety and will seek for it all
around the dial. A too liberal mix
ture of political addresses il the pro
gram would defeat the purpose of
the political chief and make their ex-
penditures useless.
Word has reached Democratic
headquarters here that Mr.. John w
Davis, the presidential candidate, is
leaning more and more toward a
radio campaign than to take the two
big swings around the circle which
were suggested to him. Mr.. Davis
feels he can reach more people by
radio than he can by train. His
managers, however, are desirious
that he should meet the people face
to-face so far as possible They are
anxious to "sell' his personality. and
while certain amount of personality
VIII express itself through the micro
phone, 1T is not to be compared with
personal contact.
Already it has been arranged that
PRESIDENT Coolidge shall do most of
ms political campaigning over the
radio. The presidential broadcasting
however, is not likely to cost the Re.
publican national committee very
heavily, for Mr.. Coolidge will spea k
most or the time in connection with
some public event which would war.
rant the broadcasting stations in
carrying the speech regardless of the
campaign. Such an incident is that
Oh FRIDAY night. when Mr.. Coolidge
Will speak by radio to a company of
Boy Scouts gathered at dinner in
New York prior to sailing for Europe
on Saturday. 1t is peculiarly fitting
that Mr.. Coolidge should speak to
the boys of America at this time
when his heart is so full of the sor.
row attending the loss of his own
younger son. When the president
announced he would speak to the
boys there was a catch in his voice
which told more, far more, than the
black sllken band on his left arm
Both of the older parties are going
to try to make their campaign funds
as popular as possible. but neither
side Will limit the amount that ar
individual may give. Will Hays at.
tempted to do that in 1920 and piled
up a deficit of something like $4,000.
oo0 before the ballots were cast. In
Wiping out this deficit the Republic
ans cast the Hays rule 81, 600 only
to the winds.
Wall street. may contribute
heavily to both Democratic and Re
pubicans chests. but Mr.. La Follettc
; and his followers will have to 90
elsewhere. Someone suggested tha
when Mr.. Davis was nominated "bie
business" was so well satisfied with
the two leading candidates for the
presidency that it wodld fail to con
tribute funds. The Democrats count.
ed that a moral victory in itself fo;
they said they had never gotten any
pig business money anyway and if
they could keep it away from the Re
pubhcans long stride forward had
been made.
DonoL;ao Oil ftI