Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-30
PRESIDENT BESET
BY NEW YORK FIGHT
Storm Which Broke Over
Wadsworth Brings Vain
Demands for His Ideas.
BY ROBERT r. SMALL.

The next time President Coolidge
goes a-summering he is likely to in
ouire most meticulously into the po-
iftical situation in the State in which
the vacation White House is to be
pitched. There is very likely to be a
return to Massachusetts next year, or
possibly to Vermont. The President
knows what Is going on in those two
bailiwicks. He didn't quite get the
drift of things in New York state this
year and as a result he has been
pulled this way and that in an effort
70 drag him into the worst muddled
Republican situation the Empire
State has ever known.
The President, according TO custom,
has refused 10 be dragged. He has
even kept silent on the candidacy of
his close friend and warm supporter
in Congress, Senator Wadsworth, who
is up for denomination and reelection
this year and who is being fought
tooth and nail by the dry citizens of
the State. Senator Wadsworth. in
launching his campaign, made a
speech which for wringing wetness
has outstepped anything that ever
started in that direction.
Naturally. President Coolidge could
not go along on such platform. Mr..
Coolidge does not believe in stirring
up the animals as Senator Wadsworth
unquestionably did. The President
was not brought up in that particular
school of politics. He believes In see.
Ing the other fellows point of view.
Senator Wadsworth lunched with the
President after his wet declaration Of
independence and there Is a general
assumption through the State that
Mr.. Coolidge indicated to the Senator
he had gone too far.
Changed LionliIse Attitude.
In any event the Wordsworth who
emerged from Paul Smiths was a
much tanner Wadsworth than the one
who entered. The Senator had been
raging like a lion for wet governor
and wet plank in the plamfOrm
I-amblike he emerged, suggesting
that. after all, it probably would be
best to nominate a moderate" for
governor and leave all mention of pro.
hibition out Of the platform.
This sign OF weakness on the part
OF the most stalwaIt wet in the Re-
publican machine Immediately was
seized upon by the drys, who have an
nounced their intention of fighting for
a strong enforcement plank in the
State platform and advocacy of a
State enforcement law to supplement
the Federal act.
The situation is becoming emhar-
raising for Senator WadSworth, and
his friends have been expecting over
and over again that President Cool
idge would issue a statement In his
behalf. But so far silence has reigncd
at Paul Smiths. The dlys now are
about to attack Mr.. Coolidge. Both
sides have asked the President to in
dictate a preference as to the senatorial
nominee.
But the President has taken the
ground that If he were Summering
in some other State he would not
think Of buttng into the New York
situation. Therefore. the mere chance
that he happens to be passing the
Summer in q State where political
turmoil rules does not seem to him
sufficient to indicate a departure from
his time-honored rule of hands of"
Mr.. Coolidge has no desire to be
olaSSed with either faction. Natur-
ally he wants the Republicans to get
together" and work for the best in
tereStS Of the party. locally and ma
tionally, but he has not yet offered
a formula by which the wringing vets
from the big cities and the bone drys
from the rural regions can square
their differences.
Senator Wadsworth. claiming the
tangible backing from Paul Smiths,
and his opponents are beginning to
use this silence against him. If he
veers to the drys upstate he loses
the support Of the big wet element
in New York City. And II he veers
to the latter he loses support in the
natural Republican strongholds Of the
north.
Likewise II a dry" or substantially
dry man is nominated for governor
by the Republicans. and IL an enforce.
ment plank Is placed In the platform,
Senator Wadsworth will be left. out
on very slim limb.
President Coolidge sees the surging
all about him. He is surrounded by
the hottest political tempest ever
raised in New York State and the
pressure on him to do something"
Ia growing greater day by day. The
forecast is the President will do moth
ing, but that does not make the situa-
ton any the less embarrassing for a
Summer 'residenter." The season"
for Mr.. Coolidge has been anything
but quiet.