Evening star., 1928-03-07
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM FILE

b!ds Tor Southern support continue
10 be the order OF the day in the AL
Smith camp. Washington has Just
| heard that the New York governor s
| friends are making overtures TO Repre-
sentative Cordell Hull OF Tennessee
| with view to his acceptance of second
place on Smith presidential ticket,
Judge Hull. who used to be chairman
OF the Democratic national committee,
Is a Protestant and dry, besides being
a son OF Dixie. and that would be a
help from the Smith standpoint. Ten
| nesSee. too, Is one OF the border States
that have come 10 be exceedingly
doubtful in presidential elections. Hard
ing carried 1t In 1920 for the Republi-
| can ticket and Davis won II in 1924 for
the Democrats. Incidentally, Tennes-
see Is the seat OF some OF the most
| tenacious anti-Smith sentiment In the
| South-the element for which George
+. Milton. Chattanooga editor. Is so
| vigorous n spokesman. Milton Is a for
| mer McAdoo lieutenant. He retaiis
persuasive facts and figures designed TO
show how Smith would smash the solid
South into smithereens. as 1t were,
| were he TO head the Democratic ticket
| in 1923.
| Senator Dave" Reed. Republican, OF
pennsylvania, Is prepared 10 admit the
! existence OF jinx as far as he and the
| Interstate Commerce Commission are
| concerned. The Senate interstate COM
merce committees rejection OF John j.
Eseh OF Wisconsin for reappointment
TO the Il. G. G." Is slap at Reed be-
cause the Pittaburgher was one OF
ESch's principal supporters. 1t was only
| q year or Two ago that the Senate
threw down another Reed candidate for
| the Interstate Commerce Commission
Cyrus f. Woods Of Pennsylvania for
mer Ambassador to Japan. Eschs only
! hope OF confirmation now lies In action
| by the Senate itself overruling the veto
OF the Watson committee. This Is inn
probable, The fcud between pennsyl-
vania and Ohio. ON the one hand. and
| the border bituminous States. on the
other. ia the thing that unhorsed Esch
| The Great Lakes coal cargo rates are
The bone OF contention, Esch voted TO
reduce them III favor Of Pennsylvania
AS against West Virginia, Kentucky
| and Tennessee.
| The other night the officials and
stan of the Bureau Of Internal Revenue
had family dinner party In honor
II Il popular member OF the unit Among
/
| gram was fake performance by n
cfystal-gazer. The pseudo soothsayer
anhwefed all sorts of side e.splitting
questions. One Of them WAS. Does Sec
fetary Mellon believe In putting fela-
tives In otfice?' The reply WAS, "Yes.
but not Couzens"
One Of the norsels Of gossip now
making the animated rounds of Senate
cloakro0ms ls that Wee President Dawes
would like nothing better than Il letter
from Senator Borah seeking the gen.
| erals views on prohibition. Dawes
doesn't want Ia be CroHa~egamined for
| the purpose ot taking n vigorous stand
On the liquor laws. iie's considered u
! dry. What he's haid Ia be hankerlng
! Tor Ia an opportunity to issue IA blast
on the bread subject OF prohibition rs
an eligibility test for the presidency,
II he gets the chance, Dawes II feputed
ready 10 burn up more picturesque Eng
| iihh than he has ever sent sixalinH across
Tie country Ia date, THAT Ii covering
IA l0t Of territory. because 1t compfe-
hends The Hell and Maria" barrage
lie let dawn on the House "smellmg
committee" Oh war costs In 1919 aud
| Ills Hsnate rules explosion on Mnfrh
4, 1929. 'iia haid that the Vice rtnal =
| dent etaYea u thanoe tu rlyei national
attention win a pinnaunenment that
| Viii he ~ aliltetiua contrast ia .ertain
sttnddliHa sitieturua Oh pfuhihitlun,
Nobody ever talks Of Dawes nowadays
Nlthout htfessiug the htranglehaid he IS
acquired On the affections nt the senate,