Evening star., 1927-06-01
Politics at Large
BY G.. Could Lincoln.

Third Term League, directed in op-
position to the denomination of Presi-
dent Coolidge, are reaching Washing.
ton in considerable numbers. They
find the supporters of President Cool
idge's reelection little disturbed, how
ever. The inclination in those quar-
ters is to discount this latest move OF
the opponents of the President. 1t is
regarded more as step on the part
of certain progressives against the
President and his administration than
as move with principle as its root:
Nevertheless. the growth or lack OF
growth of the new league Will be
watched with the keenest interest
from the present day until the presl-
Dental preferential primaries get
under way late this year and early
next. Prominent Republicans sup.
porting the administration are still
convinced, they say, that the Amerl-
can people will not believe that an
other term for President Coolidge Is
q real violation of the third terra
tradition, or that they will become
excited over the matter.
Democrats are watching the anti
third term movement with mixed emo
tions. If the sentiment against the
80
opposition to President Coolidge's re-
election, some of the Democrats see
it as an issue which might aid them
nightly in the presidential campaign
next wear. On the other hand. they
are rejoicing quietly over the split
which the movement may make among
the Republicans themselves.
Senator Royal S. Copeland, Demo
crat. of New York, who was in Wash
ington yesterday on his way to de-
liver an address in West Virginia, is
one of those who express their conf
dence that the anti-third-term senti
ment would make it possible to defeat
President Coolidge if he be the Re.
publican nominee next year, provided
the Democrats have the wisdom to
standard bearer. But Senator Cope
land says that he believes President
Coolidge will not permit himself to be
nominated.
earthed the fact that in 1923, when
the late President Harding was in the
White House and Charles Evans
Hughes was Secretary of State, repre-
sentatives of the five Central Ameri-
at the invitation of this Government
to draft a treaty of amity and peace
and that one section of this treaty
pledged these republics to the prin-
ciple Of non-re-election of Presidents
and Vice Presidents, and further
pledged them to have inserted in their
constitutions provisions against the
reelection of these executive officers.
Four of the countries have adopted
such provisions, Senator Copeland
says, and pressure has been exerted
on Guatemala, the fifth country, to
have it amend it's constitution in con-
formity with the provisions of the
treaty. How, asks Senator Copeland,
can the administration justify q de-
mand that the Central American re-
publics provide against the reelection
of their Presidents and at the same
time seek another term for President
Coolidge, which Senator Copeland in
sists would be a third term? Sena.
tor Copeland admits that he has been
unable to confirm his belief that the
State Department has been exertinS
pressure on Guatemala to get in line
for the term principle for Presidents
Of Central American republics. He
says, however, that this has not
shaken MS opinion.
The strength Of Gov. AL Smith Of
New York throughout the country,
Senator Copeland says, is growing
constantly. His defeat in the next
Democratic national convention for
the presidential nomination would,
in the opinion of Senator Copeland,
be terrible blow to the Democracy.
Furthermore. If nominated, Gov.
Smith could win the election, the New
York Senator insists. He lists the
following States as almost sure to go
for Smith: New York, New Jersey,
Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massa-
Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Ari
zona and the "solid South" Senator
Copeland believes that Smith would
carry several other States also, in-
Guiding Tennessee. Wisconsin and
Kentucky. The New Yorker is not
entirely free of optimism.
When his attention was called to re-
cent demonstrations of the ku Klux
Klan, particularly that staged in
Lynchburg, Va, where Dr. Hiram
Wesley Evans. imperial wizard of
the hooded organization, denounced
Gov. Smith. Senator Copeland said
that he considered the demonstrations
Of Khan sentiment sporadic. and that
in the end it could not defeat Gov.
Smith If he were nominated.
There are evidences, however, that
the religious issue, as it applies to
the candidacy of Gov. Smith for the
presidency, has not been laid even by
the governors frank letter published
in the Atlantic Monthly, declaring
that he recognizes no right of the
Catholic Church to interfere in any
way with the performance of his
duties as a public official. The immi.
nence Of the governors nomination
for President has stirred the anti.
Catholics to unusual efforts, appar-
emily, in elections which ordinarily
would have resulted far differently.
The mayoralty election in Baltimore.
for example, and that in Chicago are
cases in point. In both instances DEM
ocratic candidates, Catholics, went
down to defeat. The Baltimore elec-
tion was all the more significant in
view of the fact that the city is strong.
ly Democratic and has many Catholic
residents. The Klan is claiming credit
for the defeat of the Democratic can.
didate for mayor of Baltimore.
X X X
The Ku Klux Klan has threatened
for weeks to "show" Senator Carter
Glass of Virginia, ever since the Sen
ator insisted that the Klan was
stronger by far in Northern States
than in the South and that only
few hundred ~would attend meeting
in Virginia. 1t took Memorial day as
the occasion to demonstrate in the
Senator's own home town. DR..
Evans, the imperial wizard, was on
hand to speak. Press reports vary
as to the actual number Of persons
who took part in the parade and
which followed, some placing
the number as high as 5000 and
others as low as 2,S00 in line. They
sang "We1l hang Carter Glass to a
sour apple tree" and paid the same
to Gov. Al Smith.