Evening star., 1927-05-20
PRESIDENT AVOIDS
TH|RD-TERM ISSUE
SkiIIfuIIy Evades Questions
Intended to Get His Views
on denomination.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

So far as Calvin Coolidge is con-
Cerned. the third term can be agi-
tated to the hearts content of those
who want 10 talk about it, but not
a syllable of assent or dissent will
come from him.
Within the last few days one of
the most prominent national commit
tee men in the Republican party
spent four hours with Mr.. Coolidge
talking about Republican politics,
discussing the future of the party and
the situation in various States. Mr..
Coolidge listened with much interest
and asked a number of questions. He
discussed the status of the party. His
caller thought it might not be in
appropriate to touch on that very
delicate but important question of
another nomination for Mr.. Coolidge
The caller in question favored the
denomination of the President and is
in position to swing delegations
toward the Coolidge standard. He
edged all around the subject, gave
the President plenty of opportunity
to give a hint of his intentions. but
not a word came from Mr.. Coolidge.
Caller Is Disappointed.
The conversation was sufficiently in
innate to give an opportunity for the
discussion of Mr.. Coolidge's political
future. But the caller departed with
out the slightest notion of what Mr.
Coolidge is thinking about with refer
ence to denomination.
From the foregoing an interesting
inference may be drawn. 1t is that
Mr.. Coolidge has steeled himself
against any movement that might i'm
plicate him in the process of renom-
tnation. He knows well the criticism
that has often been visited on the sys-
tenn which permits President in Of
flee to control the nominating ma
chInery. If he is renominated, nobody
is going to be able to say that he re-
ceived encoura gement--at least nobody
thus far in Mr. Coolidge's political
family can truthfully say that the
President ever discussed denomination.
Reticence Subject of Comment.
Political Washington has been talk
ing about this reticence on the part
Of Mr., Coolidge and is inclined to think
it is a shrewd bit of politics in itself.
For, if the third-term tradition is to be
broken, an atmosphere must be built
up justifying such a breakdown If
WI 1OpiltlSt IGIl ci4llS ioAll dCLAN lAS ia
the race for the nomination, his friends
will be able all the more to put him in
the position of being drafted for the
The test, of course, will
come in those States where the con.
sent of the candidate is necessary be-
tore the name can be entred on the
ballot. No such consent prob
ably will come from Calvin Coolidge,
who is not going to enter the lists as
4 candidate.
Precisely the same attitude, how
ever, was assumed by Charles Evans
Hughes in 1916, when he was still on
the bench of the Supreme Court of
the United States. He would not
permit his name to go on the ballot.
but he was nominated just the same
and it was unquestiOnably the spon-
taneous act of the Republican party,
for nobody was authorized to get
delegates in his behalf.
Keeps People Guessing.
Mr.. Coolidge's attitude viii have
the effect of keeping people guessing
till the last moment. It will keep at
bay other candidates who would nat
urally expect to draw support from
the very States which form the back
bone of Coolidge strength, There Is
talk, for instance. Of Mr.. Hughes and
Mr. Hoover The nomination OF these
men would hardly be considered until
it is definitely known either that Mr..
Coolidge cannot be or does not wish
to be renominated. The indications
are that the answer to that question
will not be known until convention
time is closer at hand than 1t is to-
day. But the significant thing is that
Mr.. Coolidge has embarked on
policy of studied silence which in It
self Will permit him to function IN
office as if he We're not concerned
with his own political fortunes and
which may contribute to that de-
sirable thing in politics-the appear
ance at least of spontaneity In ma
tional convention.