Evening star., 1928-05-27
w VILLAIN M BUTLER,
n | chairman of the Repub-
NN lican national committee,
reaches Kansas City to-

reaches Kansas City to-
morrow to take active
charge of the busy preparations for
the convention. The day following.
Tuesday. the last big pre-convcn-
ton Republican contest will be set
tied bv the voters of West Virginia.
So while it may be safely set down
that it is about all over but the
shouting the nature of this shouting
and the fortunate recipient OF the
shouts remain an enticlng mystery
which by no means is solved, ac-
cording to The Stars correspond
cnts throughout the country, by the
veto of the farm bill or the recur-
ring attempts in the face of it to
revive "draft-Coolidge" movement.
AS for the West Virginia primary,
the final week before the balloting
was marked by general loosening
I'D in the use of adiectivcs and free
dom of speech on the part of speak
ers for the two chief contenders,
Senator Goff and Secretary Hoover.
There were hot speeches on both
sides, and instead of polite and
courteous interchange of conflict
ing opinions, there were bitter at
tacks and counter attacks. Senator
Secretary Hoover was represented by
able defenders, one of them, Col.
Theodore Roosevelt. pictureSquely
declaring that Senator Goff has as
much chance of being the Republican
nominee as I have Of being chosen
the Emperor of Japan" Coupled
with this statement Col, Roosevelt
and others declared that vote for
Senator Goff meant vote for
back room" convention in Kansas
City which would nominate a man
not wanted by the voters of the
country. Senator Goff came back
with hot denials of the stalking
horse" charge, and attacked Hoover's
Americanism, his Republicanism
and his ability to defeat Al Smith
in a national election.
X X X
But il the people of West Vir-
gnia are concerned chiefly with
their own problem, the voters in
other States are busy with other
matters, according to The Stars
correspondents. In Pennsylvania.
for instance, they aren't half so
concerned over the vet of the farm
bill in its effect on the farmers as
they are over its effect on the poll
tiCians. Various interpretations are
made by competent interpreters
One. for instance, Is that it has
alienated the farm belt from any
administration candidate, and there
fore from a Republican candidate,
because the Republican platform at
Kansas City cannot contain farm
plank that runs counter to admins
tration principles. and the Repub-
lican candidate must support that
platform. Another view is that the
veto has eliminated the farm issue.
as between Hoover and Lowden. and
that Hoover is the logical candidate,
Another still is that the Presidents
veto has made him stronger than
ever with the conservative business
interests in the East. and that he
again looms as candidate who Will
be drafted.
All that comes from. Pennsylvania,
where they can sit down and inter-
pref things coolly. But from Ne
braska The Stars correspondent dis
cusses the fiery demand of Gov.
McMullen that the farmers march
on Kansas City and demand the
date in sympathy with their aims.
This dramatic call to arms. it
seems. has not met with great re-
sponse Leaders in the opposing
camp of Republicans refer TO it
sneeringly as "hysterical." and some
of the Republican newspapers are
telling the farmers that they must
not expect much more relief from
one candidate than from another.
The Democrats. of course, look upon
all this as very lovely, and are lick
ing their chops. Out in Iowa the
veto has brought weeping and wall
ing. with renewed antagonism. the
correspondent reports. TO Coolidge
and Hoover. Dan W. Turner, one
Of the delegates to Kansas City, is
reported as seeing the effect Of the
veto as follows; The Republican
party has not faced such crisis in
so years as the one which now
confronts IT. The issue must be
fought out at Kansas City. where 1t
will be determined who represents
the Republican party. President
Coolidge and Eastern industry or
the Republican Congress"
From Ohio comes news of further
editorial effort on the part Of the
anti Hooverites TO draft Mr.. Cool
idge. According 10 the Arkansas