Evening star., 1927-09-25
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

| Never in the modern history of the
Republican party has n stranger situ-
| alton existed than today, little more
| than year from the time the Coun-
! try must elect another President. The
! unparalleled situation consists of the
unWilingneSS of the three leading as
pirantS to the succession to lift a
! formal hand before the White House
/ incumbent - Calvin Coolidge - re
I leases" them. The Republicans who
find themselves in this delicate posi-
tion are Herbert Hoover, Charles 6,
Dawes and Charles Evans Hughes.
Their plight is identical. though their
motives for inactivity differ. Hoover
is a member of the Coolidge cabinet.
Dawes is Wee President of the United
States-second in administration com
mand. Hughes is on definite record
not only as to his preference that
Coolidge shall be his own successor,
but as believing that the Presldent
finally will decide to accept reelection.
Equally unprecedented is the fact
that political friends of all three men
Hoover. Dawes and HugheS-are adVlS'
ing them not to permit their fortunes
10 drift endlessly. Within compare.
lively few days they have had dinned
into their respective ears an admoni-
is coming when. if you are serious as
pirants and receptive candidates. you
must abandon the attitude Of Coyness
and declare yourselves. II YOU do not.
vour opportunity may. ana prohabiE
will. pass Remember Will Hays po-
litical maxim: In politics things don
happen. They have to be brought
about.
States of Mind.
II is possible for this writer. on the
basis of information worthy of entire
credence to summarize the state or
mind prevalent in the camps OF the
men universally esteemed to be out
in 'front.' for the Republican nomlna'
tiun. The review begins with Hoover
because unquestionably he has the
largest and most widely diffuSed body
of favor, though unorganized, at this
time.
Hoover, to begin with, persists in
reiecting all overtures to place him
self in the light of an avowed candl-
date He tells his amateur poiltlclan
friends (whose name is legionl and the
hard. boiled organization Republicans,
who are for him. that he has his Job
at the Department of Commerce and
is going to stick to it. He will not
himself "chase delegates"
The Secretary of Commerce attl'
tude has not prevented an impress
sive and growing number of Republi-
can party leaders from more or less
openly identifying themselves with the
Hoover movement" That is cir
cumstance that speaks volumes. HooV-
err hitherto has not been favorite OF
the big boys" in the G. 0. p. Some
of them have even doubted his party
sense" and nearly all of them have
resented his well known antipathy to
the ways and habits of the business
of politics. Yet Il mere and partial
tabulation of the eminent Repubii-
cans publicly or privately known to be
pro-Hoover, indicates that he is by no
means friendless among the men who
make and unmake national candidates.
Roster of Boosters.
Washington observers claim that
roster of such men today already in
cludes Senator George II. Moses of
New Hampshire; DR.. Hubert Work OF
Colorado. Secretary of the Interior;
Ogden l.. Mills. Undersecretary of the
Treasury: William J. Donovan. assist
ant to the Attorney General: senator
Reed Smoot of Utah; c. II. Huston OF