Evening star., 1927-11-16
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Washington politicians are deeply
impressed by the presidential prefer
ence straw vote just taken by the
Farm Journal of Philadelphia. The
poll, which shows Republican farmers
overwhelmingly in favor of Coolidge
and Democratic farmers preponder-
antly strong for AL Smith, includes
rural votes in every State, but chiefly
among the 27 important agricultural
States. President Coolidge tops the
list, with AZ per cent Of all Republican
votes polled and 81 per cent of the
total Republican Democratic vote.
Lowden, Hoover and Hughes follow
Coolidge, respectively, in second, third
and fourth places. Smith. with 1880
Democratic votes. overshadows Nc
Adoo with $40 and Jim" Reed with
447. The Farm Journal. which has
achieved the record Of accurate straw
votes on all presidential elections, be-
ginning with 1912, stresses the fact
that in IL Democratic cotton States
on the limited returns already in
Smith polls less than half as many
votes as Coolidge. Borah runs fifth
in the G. o. p. roll, behind Hughes.
n u X
Ten years ago Newton D. Baker,
Secretary of War, had a young pri-
vate secretary in Washington named
Ralph Hayes. The other day Hayes
mounted into the hierarchy of New
York high finance by being elected a
vice president of the Chatham &
Phenix National Bank at a salary sew
eral times the amount his World War
chief drew. Hayes career in Wall
Street is reminiscent OF the Oliver
Optic tales Horatio Alger wrote. He
was a country boy from Crestline,
Ohio, once upon a time, with neither
family" nor wealth to give him a
rosy start in life. Another wartime
private secretary at Washington - a
youngster from Virginia named Lewis
l.. Strauss-became Herbert Hoover's
right hand after breaking into the
Food Administration as an office boy.
Now Strauss is a junior partner in the
banking house of Kuhn. Loeb & Co.
He and Hayes were buddies in Wash.
ington. Strauss once predicted the
Ohioan would be vice president of a
New York bank before 1928. He wins.
A good many people in the United
States and Canada wondered why
President Coolidge was "a. w. o. L."
from the Canadian War Monument
day. The explanation now going the
rounds Is that the President did not.
by his presence or remarks on such
an occasion. wish to countenance the
policy of American participation in
a war with which the United States
was not associated. The Canadian
Memorial was erected in honor Of the
35 900 odd Yankees who fought with
the DOminion's forces before Uncle
Sam rolled up his sleeves. Canadians
| in Washington are reluctant to ac-
count for Mr.. Coolidges absence at
Arlington on such grounds. Their un-
derstanding is that he was among
those not present because Canada
was not represented at the unveiling
| by any official Of near-presidential
| rank.
Former Senator George Wharton
| Pepper has just invited the Republi-
can national committee to pitch the
| 1928 convention tent in Philadelphia.
Offering for the purpose the great new
| indoor stadium of the University
of Pennsylvania. Penn State is too
hopelessly Republican to induce the
G. o. p. to hand the convention plum
| to "Bilr' Wares home town. Cleveland.
scene Of the Coolidge ratification meet
ing IN 1879, mas inc llSlue lidCh Ioi
the Republican conclave, with Kansas
CITY a good second. Minneapolis, be-
cause of proximity to the disaffected
farm country, might have had the
convention, but Minneapolitans have
evinced no particular interest in bag
ging it, although the city boasts a
| fine new auditorium. Detroit would be
| in the running, too. except that Ford.
Vile will not have it's new convention
hall finished by June. 1928. Chicago
| is barred, 'tis said, because OF the
fear that big Bill" Thompson would
pack the old Coliseum with his police
and his gang" San Francisco might
he selected but for Hoover's Call
forniaism.
| Mrs. William p. MacCracken, jr.
charming consort Of the Assistant Sec
'retary Of Aeronautics in the Depart
Iuent Of Commerce. stood at the head