Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-21
Calls Editors Charges "ViIe,
CoWard|y, SIanderouS
and Unfair"
REPUBLICAN PUBLICITY
DIRECTOR is ACCUSED
Nominee Cites Legislative Record
in DefenSe-Lists His Votes
on Many Bills.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
stan Correspondent of The star.

ALBANY, August, Elm state
ment fairly sizzling with indignation
Gov. Alfred E. Smith, Democratic nom
inee for President, today hurled bacl
at William Allen White. Kansas editor
the charges the Kansan recently made
against the governors legislative record
This record. Mr. White claimed, linked
"Assemblyman Smith" with the liquor
interests, the gambler and organized
vice. at the behest of Tammany.
Gov, Smith at the same time charged
the Republican national committee
with completely in the personal attack
mace upon him by Mr.. White.
Smith supporters are asserting today
that the governors statement has blast
ed the charges brought against him
by Mr. White, and inferentially. those
made also by Rev. John Roach Straton
of Calvary Baptist Church. New York
although no mention is made of DR.
Straton in the Smith statement.
"Slanderous, vile" "cowardly," "un-
fair" and American" are a few OF
the blistering adjectiyeS which Gov
Smith hurled at his attackers. He
handled the Republican national COM
mittee and its publicity director, for
mer Gov Henry j. Allen Of Kansas
without gloves He said:
mo one in all the Is years of my
public life has ever dared to make the
vile suggestions which emanated from
Mr.. White, with the approval of Henry
J. Allen, publicity director of the Re-
publican national committee. What
cowardly course the Republican ma
tional committee pursued.
Called Slanderous.
1T issued a slanderous statement
through its publicity bureau, and then,
after its general publication In the press,
attempted to evade responsibility by
the childish claims that 1t had been
given out by accident. That is not
fair play"
There is every evidence in the state
ment by Gov. Smith that he did not
take the White charges lightly He says
that he has spent much time going over
the records of his votes on legislative
measures referred to by Mr.. White in
his original statement. The governor
makes no attempt to deny, that he cast
his vote on these measures He does
explain the votes, however, and his rea-
sons for casting them.
He admits that he voted against local
option bills in the Assembly. He admits
also that he voted to give longer hours
to open saloons in cities of the third
class and villages of over 5000 in
habitantS.
In his defense OF his votes on these
ollls and his votes on the other bills
cited by MIR. White, Gov. Smith refers
again and again to the fact that the
New York Assembly in those DAYS was
strongly Republican and that many OF
the Republican members of the body
voted as he did. He clearly holds it
unfair that Mr.. White should have
singled him out as a special henchman
OF the saloon, the gambler and vice
under those circumstances.
Fight With Allen.
1t is no longer a figtht with White
now. but a fight with the Republican
national committee and its publicity di-
rector, former Gov. Allen.
Inc governor in his statement de-
clares, however, that he has said the
iast "ord ne intends to say on the sub
lect, In ms concluding paragraph Gov.
onltn says From now on / shall re-
IuSe 10 be drawn into any further dis
cuSSlon OF these matters" He saws
100, earlier In his statement Il am
giau 70 have this matter taken out of
the whispering stage and put into the
open. Once and for all shall meet
Ii now.
regard 1t as purely political, and
When the campaign begins do not pro-
pose 10 nave the issues of that cam
pa'gn befogged by controversy over
irrelevant things. such as the discus
SION OF my votes as a legislator some
20 or more years ago"
III is expected by Republicans here
however, that when Mr.. White, now In
Europe. gets the text of Gov. Smiths
reply, ne will have something more t.
say, and that former Gov Allen is likely
10 make reply. Both of the Kansans
are old hands at political rows.
Calls Record Secure.
Gov. Smith points 10 the fact thai
the late Rev. Canon John j. Peters
When Chairman of the Committee oi
Fourteen, leading anti-vice society oi
rev YORK, repeatedly thanked me foI
my cooperation with that organiza-
tion, adding that he has many let
terS IN his possession to show this tC
be a fact. MY record as an oppo-
nent Of immortality Is fixed and secure, :
says the governor.
Particularly and with the vigor fol
which he is famous does the governor
lambaSt Mr.. White for attempting tf
link him up with support of prostitution
Mr.. William Allen White" he says
sailed for Europe with a happy ant
contented mind. / hope, and / would
not disturb 1t by attempting TO describe
10 him the heavy weight that he lait
upon my family when he accused ms