Evening star., 1926-11-20
MEREDITH STARTS
BOOM MFOR M'ADOO
Drys and Progressives viii
Nominate Him, Former
Secretary Says.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
NEW YORK, November 20.-Dry
Democrats from tho West and South
will nominate Williams Gibbs McAdoe
for the presidency in 1928. II Ia be-
lieved by Edwin T. Meredith, Secre.
tary Of Agriculture in the Wilson ad.
ministrat ton.
Gov. AL. Smith OF New York will be
eliminated as a possibility by the adop.
ton of a dry platform, in Mr.. Mere
dith's opinion.
The New York World, an ardent
Smith supporter, regards Meredith's
pronouncement as a move to counter
the momentum Smith received by his
reelection for a fourth term.
The former Secretary has been wide.
ly mentioned as a possible compro.
mise nominee, but he insists he Ia not
a candidate. Mr.. Meredith made set
speech on farm relief here Thursday
night. Today's papers publish his
views, on the Democratic situation. as
given to political writer's.
Sees PrOgressives In Control.
"In my Judgment" he said, ''the
next Democratic national convention
will be controlled by the Progressive
Democrats from the West and South.
The platform will not be wet and I'M
doubtedlv will include in its declars-
tion of party policy and program
prohibition law enforcement plank.
This country is dry today. l do not
believe that Gov. Smith consistently
could run on the sort of a platform
the 1928 convention is most likely To
adopt" .
Mr.. McAdoo, he said, would be the
rallying point" for the Progrsssives
in the 1923 convention. adding;
"He is the only man within our
party around whom any conslderanle
group of Progressives, majority ~
whom also happen to be drys, woulh
gather to pnake their stand against
the vets and what they regard as
the reactfonary East.
Hopes to Avert Deadlock.
Mr.. Meredith said he thought Me
Adoo's relative strength would he
about the same as in 1924. He Sin
cerely hopes" introduction OF Nc
Adoo's name will not bring about a
virtual repetition of the 1924 dead
lock. which required 103 ballots To
break However Mr.. Meredith re-
marked, II expect it to he an IN
teresting convention"
The convention will without
doubt be held somewhere in the Mid
die West or West, in Mr.. Meredlths
opinion. cleveland, st. Louis. or
possibly Kansas City" he suggested.
Gov. Smiths recent election for
fourth term in this State has un-
doubtedly strengthened him." in the
opinion of MIR. Meredith, but not
enough to overcome sentiment
against him.
Meredith said he had heen telling
McAdoo men in various States to be-
gin now to take steps to have them
selves elected as delegates to the
national convention.
Iowa for McAdOO.
He said Iowa would he for Nc
Adoo, as perhaps not over 10 per
cent OF the States Democrats fa-
vored Smith.
When told that McAdoo's friends
referred to him at times as dark
horse, Meredith said:
'In the case of a deadlock the
convention might say to any one of
half a dozen men: 'Pomerene, you're
itv Joe Robinson, you're IT. Dona-
hey, you're 1t. or Meredith, you're
it, In a juncture of that sort any
one the convention might settle
upon would doubtless accept the
draft. That is the only sense In
which l can be considered as a can
didate."
Asked IL he thought McAdoo would
be nominated, he answered in the
affirmative.