Evening star., 1928-06-03
ST. LOUIS 6. D. ?.
IN FEAR OF SMITH
Leaders ForeSee Record Up
set If New Yorker Wins
Nomination.
special DISPATCH TO The star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
ST. LOUIS. Mo, June 2.-Republican
leaders here are having Nightmares over
the prospect Of Al Smith being the
Democratic choice for President at the
Houston convention. In this the larg-
est CITY in Missouri, the Republicans
frankly admit they fear Smith as an
opposing candidate for President almost
as much as they would Senator James
A. Reed. Missouri's own candidate for
the nomination.
In this wet" Republican city. which
in presidential years usually returns
about 10000 for the national ticket, one
OF the biggest upsets in its political his
tory is predicted for next November If
the New York Governor is the Demo-
CRITIC nominee. 1t probably will be as
bad a turnover for the Republicans.
leaders admit, as in the senatorial elec-
ton six wears ago when Reed, Democrat,
carried this city bt $4,000 votes Smiths
popularity extends into the six adjacent
wet" German counties and ST. Louis
County. which in normal presidential
years pile up substantial ma aiorities for
the Republican ticket
The pro-Smith sentiment here is Sc
strong that. Republican leaders are fear
ful 1t may also carry down To defeat
in November their 4favorite" son candi-
date for governor, Judge Henry Caul-
field. and the local Republican ticket.
Leaders interviewed.
Virtually every Republican leader of
consequence here was asked by this
correspondent concerning the Smith
strength. A minimum guess has that
Smith would break even in ST. Louis
as Senator Harry B. Hawes. Democrat.
did in the 1926 election, and the maxi
mum was that Smith would carry ST.
Louis By $4,000 votes. These predictions
are based on the assumption Herbert
HooTer viii be the Republican nominee
st. Louis this year Is expected TO cast
slightly more than 300. 900 votes. or one
fourth Of the vote IN the State.
Probably there is no city In America
which las more diverse racial and re-
ligious elements or greater hostility for
the prohibition Laws The Republican
leaders may be able before the Novem-
Der election 70 change the trend and TO
restore large blocks Of the normal party
vote 70 the party fold. The hope Of the
party leaders here. however. iS that
rural Missouri viii react as decisively
against the Smith candidacy as ST.
Louis viii for it. II the country be-
comes thoroughly aroused the Repub-
Leans here believe that a Democratic
bolt ofitsstate nay largely offset the ex-
pected Republican bolt in the city The
observers are agreed that lines will be
smashed as never before II Smith is the
Democratic nominee for president.
30 Per Cent Wet"
St Louis Is estimated to be st least
90 per cent wet" due largely TO a pre-
pondeTence Of citizens Of German de-
scent. Then comes tie religious Gl-
Vision. The city Is composed of about
90 per cent Protestants and about 40
per cent Catholics.
Al present there are $4,000 negroes
on the registration books. but the num-
Der Of negro voters viii show q large
increase this year because Of the influx
of several thousand of them last year
from the flooded areas OF the Gouth
About IS per cent Of the Catholics
are Republicans, A big Republican
vote comes from the German Luther
ana. who numerically are about one
fourth as strong as the Catholic But
the L9therans, IL ls said. vote more as
unit. Al this time several Of the in
Guent1ai Lutheran ieacsrs are openly
Tor Smith. Much propaganda. such as
the assertion Hoover lived 20 years IN
England. u being used among the c4tt~
zef1s of German descent To create SeI1ft~
ulcns for Smith against the Secretary
| Of Commerce
There are 2 few among the Repubii-
can leaders here who believe that Enaith
might lose st. Louis II the religious and
prohibition issues are tightly drawn,
They point to the fact ia 1925, Victor
). Miller, Republican. defeated for
mayor William L. Igoe, vet" and
Catholic. Dy 30 100 votes Religion and
, prohibition we're undercoYer issues IN
ti1at campaign.
r. G.. Afford.