Evening star., 1927-10-14
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

There's no longer any doubt that
| the 1928 presidential race is degen.
Grating into an old mems contest
Here's Senator George w. Norris OF
Nebraska, being doomed as the Pro
gressive candidate despite the fact
| that he's a year older than Charles
Evans Hughes, who has proclaimed
| that a man of 66 is too antiquated to
| run for President. "Jim" Reed is
Norris age. So is Lowden. Dawes
| Is 62; Senator Walsh, 68; Borah, 62
and "Jim" Watson, SO. The only
| youngsters in the picture are Gov.
| Richie, who is 81: Hoover, who is 53i
AL Smith, who is 81. and Calvin Cool
idge. who turned SIS last July.
II X X
Republican insiders are not taking
| the Norris boom very seriously. The
Nebraskan, who is himself under no
| illusions, could hardly ever expect to
| exceed in the G. 0. p. convention the
| high-water mark commonly assigned
Gov. Lowden, which figure is con.
siderably less than one-half of the
ma ajority required for nomination.
! Senator Borah, one of the otf1clal
custodians of the Norris movement
has promptly scotched the thought
| that q third party scheme is involved
| in it. The Republican Progressives
know full well that if the magic
candidacy of the late Robert M. La
| Toilette in 1924 was able to swing
| into the electoral column the vote OF
but q single State-his own devoted
Wisconsin-thered be little hope in
an independent ticket headed by
| Norris or any one else. Third-party
crusades have, nothing but defeat to
their credit in the United States.
Roosevelt achieved the ultimate in
1912, Not even the most optimistic
Progressive of this era believes tnat
what the Bull Moose tried and falieo
to attain could be accomplished by a
! less magnetic candidate than II. H.
| Il X 4 y
Politicians discern more than meets
the eve in the statement just made at
| Washington by Representative jim
BeSe of Ohio on the Republican presi"
dental situation in that State. Begg
saws Coolidge Is Buckeyes hrst cholce,
with Hoover a. strong second preIer'
ence. The significance OF that ooser'
vation lies in Begg's failure 10 say
ANYTHING about his bosom friend and
noliticaI crony, Speaker Tongworth.
| Once upon a. time Mick" was the
| onlv white hope whose name ever
crossed the lips OF the vigorous young
| Ohio statesman. Begg managed Long
worth's successful campaign Tor the
! speakership four years ago. The pop
ular consort of princess Alice mas
| rather faded from the presidential PIC
| ture in recent months, although tnefe
are those who assert that MS unop'
trusiveness is high strategy ana that
Mick" is in better position than ever
to take advantage Of dark horse pos
sibilities next year.
! y + +
Representative Albert Johnson OF
| Washington, chairman of the House
| immigra ton committee, has just reach
| ed the Capital after a thorough going
| inspection of the Mexican border
patrol. He Is enthusiastic over the
| fine personnel that has been developed
| on our Southern frontier since the
service was established three years
ago. The patrol is q near-military or
ganization. some 500 strong, partially
mounted and armed, and consists or
vigorous, piCturesQueiy uniformed
young men, ready at all times-lke
the Marines-~-for a frolic or f1ght.
Representative Johnson finds the
| patrol functioning on efficient lines
and devoted to the service. Some
day hs thinks it will be advisable to
confine the patrols duties exclusively
to the prevention of immigration boot
! Logging. AS now organized, it's offi'
GERS and men concern themselves not
only with violations of the immigra-
ton laws. but with liquor and narcotic
smuggling as well.
| r
Either the courts or the Shipping
Board may shortly be called upon to
decide the question whether an ocean
liner has the right, on short notice
or without notice, to alter a ships
port of destination. The other day
s. s. Lapland Of the Red Star Lire
put in unexpectedly at Newport News.
Her original destination was her usual