Evening star., 1926-10-07
REED MAY DECIDE.
MISSOURI ELECTION
WiIIiams-HaWes Contest in
Doubt, With "Jim" Put
ting in Hard Blows.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

! ST. Louis Is the battle ground of the
/ Williams Halves senatorial contest,
but it's battle AK is here in Kansas
City. Writ across its cleaning blade
/ is the name of Jim" Reed. The
! senior Senator from Missouri be-
strides the congressional campaign of
his home State like a colossus of
Rhodes. If the Democrats recapture
. the seat that "Gumshoe Bill' Stone
once adorned in the upper house, they
will have not Harry Halves, but Jim"
Reed to thank for it.
Republican leaders concede that
Reeds support is worth at least $4,000
votes to Halves. 1t is by about that
! substantial majority that they expect
| to defeat Senator Williams.
Whispering Campaign.
There is a whispering campaign
among Hawes' foes to the effect that
he is merely Jim Reeds poodle dog"
That taunt Is not discOncerting to
Democrats, while Republicans among
| whom 1t is circulating are Williams
| men. anyhow. Judged by the state of
mind here, to be known as hitched to
Jim" Reed is about as good an asset
as a candidate could wish. Repre-
sentative Hawes' fortunes are thriv-
ing like e. bay tree under the caressing
influence of that impeachment.
Reed has apparently accomplished
one OF the most marvellous back from
Elba' performances in cotemporary
American politics.
He is the undisputed master of the
Democratic party in Missouri far
cry from the Spring of 1920, when he
was read out Of the party and denied
q delegateship to the San Francisco
convention. The Senator continues to
insist he didn't start" the 1928 Reed
for-President talk, but it Is not visibly
displeasing to him, and 1t Is unrniS1
takably growing in volume in Mis-.
souri,. and, his friends here claim, in
the country at large.
Reeds Record Praised.
Ask the explanation of all this, as
this writer has asked it Of Missouri
Democrats and Republicans alike, and
you get a stereotyped reply. You are
told that Reed has finally convinced
the people of Missouri that he Is a
politician of conviction, courage and
candor, has fought hard, If fiercely,
for his contentious, and remained a
consistent Democrat. Reed himself
conversion of his former foes.
In this campaign speeches by Reed
are in universal demand, far beyond
the Senator's capacity to make them.
He is 64 years old, and, though 1.-THE
as an Indian and as hard hitting a
campaigner as of yore, he confeSses
the necessity Of slowing up bit. Yet
he is preparing several sledge-hammer
blows in the Hawes campaign before
election day. At least two Of them
will be delivered in Republican st.
Louis.
Wet German Vote.
In 1922 Reed came to st. Louis from
down State with a majority of only
600. st. Louis gave him a majority Of
more than $4,000. 1t was the wet
German American element, living
south of Chouteau avenue what is
known as "the Hindenburg line" -
that rolled up the victorious vote.
Reed is about to launch against
that stronghold a drive that prom.
ever directed. Former Gov. Arthur
NJ. Hyde, Republican, speaking re-
Gently on behalf of Senator Williams,
assailed Representative Halves for
attempting to facilitate the return to
St. Louis, during the war, of Mrs.
Adolphus Busch, widow of the beer
king. The Busch name is still a
magic one in Teutonic st. Louis.
Apparently Hyde committed a bull"
in raking up the war memories at
tached to the Busch family. At any
rate, Senator Reed intends to cross
the "Hndenburg line" and sail into
the Hyde Williams attack on Mrs.
Busch. knowledge of Reeds plans
has thrown CONSERVATION into Repub.
lican leaders, who must carry Ger
man-American St. Louis, by their
own admissions, to re.elect Senator
Williams.
Coolidge Breeze Failing.
Here, at the outer rim of the great
open spaces, the Coolidge breeze Is
not blowing nearly so favorably as
at points previously encountered
East and North. Western farm dis
content is rumbling across the Mis-
souri, and the Kaw, and in Kansas
City, 'the gateway to the South
west" it's menace is acknowledged
by Republican leaders. The corn and
cotton farmers of Missouri are in
distressful condition, owing to crop
and market conditions, and, as usual,
are in mood to hold responsible for
their troubles the party in power that
failed to legislate agricultural pros
perity.
William Hirth of Columbia, Mo-, was
one Of the spearheads Of the corn
belt drive on Congress last year who
still sees salvation only in McNary-
ator Williams and Representative
Hawes voted for McNary-Haugen
measures, Hirth's influence is expect
ed to be cast in favor of Hawes.
Hirth and his following are also
strong supporters Of tariff equality"
as advocated by the Democrats.
Senator Reeds speeches for Halves
are hammering the G. o. P. tariff
policy toward the farmer. THE trou.
ble," says Reed. sis that the mind
of President Coolidge Is centered
more upon the prosperity of the New
England manufacturers than upon
the welfare Of the farmers of the
great Central West"
"SIams" Getting Over.
Democratic campaigners claim that
slams" at Coolidge get over" to-
day, where they would have been
venturesome year ago.
There are many signs that admin
istratlon relief panaceas are mot ap.
peasing Missouri farmers. Unques.
tionably the Coolidge-Jardine agricul-
tural program Is responsible for
slump in G. o. P. fortunes hereabouts.
Senator Williams Is not finding
that his "disloyalty" to the Presi.
dent on either the World Court or
farm relief is costing him Repub.
iican votes. The williams manag gers
discover, in particular, that anti.
World Court sentiment is stronger
than ever, and that Williams opposi.
ton is an element Of strength, not
weakness.
He believes his pro.McNary. .Haugen
vote will preserve for him the reg.
ular Republican farm vote. despite
hostility to Coolidge farm policies.