Evening star., 1927-09-19
Smith DECLARED
! M'AD0O'S TARGET
Leaders See Withdrawal as
Threat of Finish Fight
i Against Governor.
rY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

William G.. McAdoo's I-do-not-
choose to run for President in-192S
dominates tie national political sit
nation almost as overwhelmingly as
s'alvin Coolidge's less positive avowal.
1t has set Democratic and Republican
leaders alike to specializing over It's
ultimate effect. The Democrats. whose
interest II directly challenges, find in
It a double significance.
McAdoo. first OF all, they realize,
has elimirqted himself from the race.
But, in the second place. they read
letween the lines of his withdrawal
a plain threat To fight to the death
las a private citizen the ambitions
Of Gov Al Smith. McAdoo adjures
"the false RELIGIOUS issue" but cate,
Rorically re-dedicates himself to the
suppression of nullitlcation" and to
'the enforcement of law" Smith
Democrats in Washington - whose
name is legi0n--interpret that Ian.
cnage to mean that McAdoo will go
on battling for the suppression" OF
Al Smith and the enforcement OF
an anti-Smith nomination.
Strategy Lor~ Known.
Tho strategy Of the McAdoo camp
has heen known to insiders at Wash
fnCton for many months The posi-
hility Of nominating "W. G." in 1928
was hanished a long time ago. His
friends were conscious TINT his for
nidahle following of 1924 has crum-
hled to impotency. 1t was thereupon
determined that while McAdoo him.
self could not enter the lists with
eny usefulness. the McAdoo old guard
ehould go down lighting TO the bitter
end TIE man il holds directly re-
eponeible for the Californian's defeat
years ago.
Also the grounds on which the war
on Smith was TO be kept up were for
mulated. He was distinctly not to be
attacked as a Roman Catholic. The
new drive was to concentrate on his
wetneSs and on his TammanyiSm. His
faith would have made the crusade
against him a triple threat. but his
LIQUOR views and 'Fourteenth street"
Affiliations were held to be a double
threat adequate to prevent his nomina-
tion under the two-thirds rule. II
nominated in spite of that rule, or be.
cause the adoption of the majority rule,
the McAdoo cohorts figured that
''booze and Tammany" were twin is.
sues certain to doom him at election
time.
Count on Smith Defeat.
count, on the defeat of Smith. if nomi
mated. because of their alleged Ger.
tainly that the solid South will be
cracked as a Democratic stronghold.
George Fort Milton, editor Of the Chat.
tanooEa News. to whom Mr.. McAdoo
has lust addressed his communicate of
remuneration. said on January 20, 1927,
in answer to the question: "Why can.
not Gov. Smith be elected IL nomi-
nated?" as follows:
HE would surely lose Tennessee, Ken
lucky. oklahoma and Missouri. He
would have great difficulty in carry
ing North Carolina. Alabama, Arkan.
sas or Texas. / am convinced Smith
would carry South Carolina, Georgia
and Mississippi, and that Florida and
Virginia would be backgrounds.
think that the nomination Of Gov.
Smith would mark the start of a re.
classification Of American politics, be-
cause Of the breakup Of the solid
South. That, however, is a contin-
gencv which I do not believe the
South will have to face"
Opens Wide Speculation.
McAdoos hint that he stands
aside" to permit "deveiopment Of a
leadership" unhandicapped by old ami
mosities means that his support will
now be thrown to some other Demo.
cratic Progressive. That opens wide
the flood gates Of Washington specu.
lation, e. I. Meredith of Iowa, former
Secretary OF Agriculture; Huston
Thompson OF Colorado, former chair.
man OF the Federal, Trade Commission,
and Senator Carter Glass Of Virginia
are all Democratic Progressives and
one'time McAdoo supporters.
1t Is believed any one of them would
measure up to "W. G.. s" definition Of
the needs of the Democratic situation.
They are all drys, too, and with him
for 1.-The suppression Of notification"
Equally acceptable to the McAdoo
camp, II is believed, would be two
other eminent Democrats--Owen D.
Young Of New York and Evans
Wcollen OF Indiana. The fortunes of
all or these men will look up from
now on.