Evening star., 1928-03-15
TALK Of COOLIDGE
DRAF TING REVIVED
Financial Centers Cling to
Hope That President Win
Run Again.
RY DAVID LAWRENCE.

For several days Washington has
/ been bombarded by telephone calls ask
! ing If President Coolidge had decided
| after all. to be a candidate for the
presidency, And as often as the in
| Quiry has been made the answer has
| gone back that the Presidents two
statemcnts-in August and December
speak for themselves.
But this has not satisfied those who
F! profess to believe that something has
| happened warranting the belief that
President Coolidge will be nominated.
| There is no question, too, that persons
interested in the stock markets ups
| and downs have been talking about the
Coolidge candidacy. on the theory that
II Ii were assured he would be the
candidate a certain optimism would
prevail in business and financial QUAR-
ters.
Politicians Are Worried.
Now the truth Is President Coolidge
hasn't said word to anybody TO indi-
cate that he has changed or will
change his position With many of
those who want him to run the wish
is father to the thought. And what
really has happened is that certain
veteran politicians have in the last few
| days realized that the Republican po-
| litical situation might become desperate
in view of the oil scandal disclosures
and that only President Coolidge could
save the day. He weathered the Teapot
Dome storm in 1924. and would be ex-
pected 10 go through it again on the
theory that he himself is untouched by
the disclosures.
Also. in many other States there are
leaders who feel that. while Hoover.
Lowden or Dawes might poll a big Re-
publican vote, they might not be strong
! enough TO carry the local tickets
| through to victory.
Some of the dyed-in- -the-wool Cool
| idge men are well known in the flnan-
/. cial district in New York and Chicago.
/ where business men are wont to take
| their cue from what these leaders say.
| So long as there is held out the chance
! that President Coolidge might be per-
Suaded to run they will cling tenacious
! ~ 10 the Coolidge standard.
! This is having its effect on the Hoo
yer campaign. In fact, 1t is rumored
| that some of those who know the ac-
| tual political situation in the various
| States and have counted the delegates
| obtained. and those likely to be OBJ
| tanned, are saying Secretary Hoover cam
| not get a majority unless the last
ditch" Coolidge men give him their
votes.
Turning 1t around. the Hoover votes
are in sense Coolidge votes If friends
Of the President had planned the pres
ent situation. they could not have done
better job in lining up the friends
OF Mr.. Coolidge as against the Lowden-
Dawes elements in the party which
! have as their nucleus the anti-Coolidge
| sentiment Of the agricultural region.
Coolidge Talk to Continue.
Would Mr. Coolidge accept II nomi-
| mated? First. there must be a dead
lock before his name can logically be
considered. as otherwise the Hoover ele-
ment would feel they had been en-
| couraged TO believe 1t was free-for ALI
race when 1t really was not Second
| II the deadlock comes and the party
demands Coolidge as its savior, the
oldest OF the political leaders say nc
man ever turned down the party that
honored him in the past.
| MIR. Coolidge has never said he would
not accept II nominated. Until he says
that, Wall Street and La Sale Street
and every other street of finance In the
country will hear talk OF denomination
| sometimes revived for political pur-