Evening star., 1928-09-11
SMITH CONFERS
ON WESTERN TRIP
Informal ParIeys Held to Get
Familiar With Political
Conditions.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
ALBANY, N. Y, September Ito
familiarize himself with political con-
ditions In the 13 Western States through
which he will pass on his FIRST speaking
tour of the presidential campaign. GOV:
Smith has begun series OF informal
conferences with members OF his party
from the section west OF the MISSISSIPPI,
His first caller. Gilbert M. Hitchcock,
Omaha publisher and a former united
States Senator rom Nebraska: mas as
sured him that all's we'll in the Corn
husker State. which the Republicans
won four and eight years ago. Others
are expected to be consulted before the
Democratic presidential nominee starts
out next Sunday.
Mr.. Hitchcock assured the nominee
that Nebraska was beginning to rally
around his banner.
The former Senator. who received
Nebraska's vote for the presidential
nomination at Houston, said there was
as large a proportion of business and
professional men in Omaha coming out
for Smith as there we're in New York;
that the German vote, largely lost since
the war. apparently was returning to
the fold in large numbers, and that the
farmers and those who supported La
Toilette four years ago were indicating
an increased interest in the Smith
cause.
Women Backing Hoover.
A factor in Hoover's favor, Hitch
cock said. was rather general talk that
the women were lining up behind the
Republican nominee.
But against this" he added, there
is a very large showing of farmers
against Hoover. The farmers are not
solely for Smith on his own account" !"
he went on, but there is widespread
feeling among them that Hoover was
unfriendly to them during the war"
Little evidence had appeared, the
former Senator said. that prohibition
or religion was figuring in the political
minds of the Western States
While only one of the States the
nominee will visit the first week of his
tour solidly supported him at the
Houston convention. all of those on his
second weeks schedule voted for him
to the last delegate, and his managers
are banking heavily on this part of the
trip to impress the strong La Toilette
vote of 1924
Seventy-four convention votes went
to Gov. Smith from these States
Wyoming. Montana, North Dakota
Minnesota and Wisconsin-where 81
electoral votes will be at stake in
November. Smith lieutenants also are
counting on his St. Paul address. Sep
tember q. carrying an appeal to South
Dakota which also supported him at
Houston
In their calculations, party chieftains
also are considering that this territory
IN the pre-convention period was part
OF the backbone of the Republican
forces in which Lowden had consider
able strength before he withdrew from
the race for the nomination, and his
cohorts diSintegrsted.
With his speech at Milwaukee SEN
tember 49, Gov. Smith will wind up his
Western tour and 60 on to Rochest1 r
for the --ew York State Democratic con-
ventlon before returning to Albany Oc-
tooer to prepare for his second drive
While his plans for that are uncertain.
1t Is likely that he will concentrate on
for an Eastern trip and a
visit to Chicago and Cleveland.
Although dates are undecided. he is
expected to invade Pennsylvania for a
speech either at Philadelphia or Pitts
burgh and Massachusetts, for an ad-
dress at Boston. It is certain that he
will speak somewhere In New Jersey.
where his Republican opponent appears
next Monday night for a speech at
Newark.