Evening star., 1927-11-14

How much longer Republicans like
Hoover. Dawes and Hughes, to name
only those out in front, can keep
their hats out of the 1928 presidential
ring is now the question monopoliz.
ing politicians attention. Each one
of these three outstanding possibil-
tiles feels bound, by either official or
personal ties, to hold back pending
some unmistakable sign of Calvin
Coolidge's intentions. The President
and his immediate friends may con.
slider that he has already spoken with
decisive and definite clearness. But
it is a wide-open secret that the whole
political world, as a matter Of fact,
is still guessing and wondering what
Mr.. Coolidge really does mean and
intend. Recent entertainment of big
Bill' Thompson and his Chicago boost
ers at the White House breakfast
table caused many eyebrows to be
raised in query as to the political
significance of the gesture. There've
been hints that the President would
satisfy the country's curiosity when
he speaks before the Union League
at Philadelphia on November. II.
White House intimations do not en-.
courage such belief. From that
quarter advices are Forthcoming that
1928 will be panegyric on the virtues
of William Penn. The Union League
is one of the rock.ribbed citadels of
Republicanism. Its high priests un-
dOubtedly are expecting strong dose
OF party medicine from the chief ply
sician of the G. o. p. on Wednesday
next.
AL Smiths tremendous personal vic
tory in the New York State elections
on November is, il possible, of even
more significance to the Republican
party than to the governor himself
or to the DemOcrats-that Is to say,
Smiths demonstrated stranglehold on
popular sentiment in New YolH forces
Republican strategists to consider
seriously whether an Fastener like
Hughes, with a strong chance of car
rying the Empire State, or a Western.
err, like Hoover, Dawes, Lowden or
Curtis, who might win the election
without New York, is the logical an.
swer to the Smith menace. Between
now and the time the G. o. P. conven-
ton meets, therell be multiplicity
OF counsels on this delicate point. AT
present the Republicans are a house
divided against itself on the Smith is
sue. One thing can be set down as
fairly certain, even at this relatively
early stage of the game-that is,
that when the zero hour comes, and
the party captains get together and
make up the conventions mind for
1t. 1t 'will be the Al Smith portent
whichll sway their judgment.
X " * "
No appointment to the vacant gov.
rnor.generalship of the Philippines is
The President Is quoted as desrOus
If submitting the name of Gen. Woods
successor to the Senate, securing
prompt confirmation, and then dis
patching the new man to Manila
without delay. Seniors QueZon and Os-
mena. who are In Washington, are he.
iieved to have expressed q lively pref.
erence for the selection OF a civilian.
rather than a military man. IL Mr..
Coolidge sympathizes with that sug-
gestion. Henry J.. Stimson, who made
peace In Nicaragua, Is accounted in
Washington the most likely choice.
The appointment Of a civilian COVER.
nOr.general, while leaving the admin.
istration of the Philippines i'm the
War Department. might be deemed
by the President happy-medium
disposal of the project to transfer the
administration to civilian branch of
the Federal Government.
The Navy Department has just
issued telling bit OF advertiseme mt
of itself as "an instrument Of peace"
1t lists II different branches of peace
time activity. TO which the depart
ment and the fleet are sleeplessly de-.
voting themselves. They are: protec-
ton, missions of mercy. medicine. CO.
operation, errands of diplomacy, ship
building, communications, aeronau-
tics. engineering, navigation, explora-
ton and education.
Edward N. Hurley's merchant ma.
rine plan IL viewed on Capitol Hill as
the opening gun in a renewed and
Ionsdrawn-out struggle for ship
subsidy in one form or another. The