The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-05-14
KEEPING UP
With
THE NE WIS
BY LUDWELL DENNY

Il agreement over Secretary Mel
Ions statement supporting Hoover's
presidential candidacy as there was
over the Coolidge I-don't-choose
statement. That is natural, be-
cause Mellon and his seventy-nine
! Pennsylvania delegates hold the bal
ance of power and probably will pick
the winner at Kansas City.
Hoover's friends interpret the
statement to mean that Mellon
definitely is out for Hoover and that
therefore the race practically is
over.
The anti-Hoover alliance-Low-
den, Dawes, Curtis, Watson-say the
real meaning of Melons words is
that he expects to draft Coolidge.
This conflict of Interpretation is
stimulated by the fact that Mellon
made two statements-one formally,
and the other informally-to the
press.
In the first the Secretary of the
Treasury, addressing the joint meet
ling of the Pennsylvania State Re-
publican committee and national
convention delegation, said:
1--WE hear much talk of the various
candidates and of their policies.
Among them all Mr.. Hoover seems
to come closest to the standard that
we set for this high Office, between
now and the convention. however,
recommend that we hold ourselves
unpledged and uncommitted to any
particular candidate"
Most of this statement was deyot-
ed to praise of Coolidge policies and
the necessity of making them the
platform for the next campaign.
n
Later, Mr.. Mellon, under cross
examination by correspondents, is
reported TO have said:
ut is not certain that MIR.
Coolidge will not consent to the
use of his name. The President
may be a candidate"
Hence the Interpretation of Sen
ator Jim Watson of Indiana, favor
ite son candidate and member of
the anti-Hoover alliance, who said.
Doubtless if Secretary Mellon
were unreservedly for Herbert
Hoover'S nomination he would
have said so in unequivocal terms,
and would have insisted upon an
endorsement of him by the dele
CATION Secretary Mellon deliv-
cred quite a eulogy on President
Coolidge, and, putting the various
parts of the statement together, I
construe it to be in effect an en-
dorsement of President Coolidge
by Secretary Mellon and literally
a request for his nomination"
Balancing this are the interpre-
tations of Senator Borah and Sen
ator Norris, who have presidential
endorsements of their own States,
that Melons statement seems to
indicate he is for Hoover.
NUT Of this confusion certain
" factors are fairly plain to neu-
trail observers:
l. In suddenly breaking his pol
icy of silence and naming Hoover
as the best present candidate, Mel
lon has given the Hoover candidacy
the biggest boost since the Ohio
and Massachusetts, primaries, and
has more than counter-acted the
psychological effect of Hoover's close
defeat under heavy odds in the
Indiana primary.
2. In insisting that Coolidge poll
cieS must continue the party plat
form, Mellon has blackballed not
only Lowden and the western IA
yorite sons campaigning on the
nti-Coolidge platform of McNary-
Haugen farm relief, but also Vice
President Dawes.
8. In approving Hoover, but def
nitely refusing to commit his dele
cation to Hoover's candidacy, Mel
lon has left the dooropen for a pos
sible Coolidge candidacy.
a. This statement is curiously
parallel with the statements and
dCOo VI 4CoAOCl4O 0OO4AO5Cs AlSoAGAACNt
to eliminate himself from the race
in favor OF the leading candidate,
Hoover, but which do not prevent
definitely the President from run
ming if an emergency" arises.
1t would appear that both the
President and Mellon are aiding and
will continue to aid Hoover, in the
sincere hope and belief he will get
the nomination. But it also appears
that, if through some unexpected
development at Kansas City, Low
den or Dawes were to become dan
gerous contenders, the President
might be called on by Mellon to
rise to the emergency"
If this is a correct estimate of
the situation, and it is difficult to
find any other tenable explanation
for Melons support without COM
mitment for Hoover, the Hoover
managers have reason to be much
| hammer ahoI1t If than their enc