Evening star., 1928-03-25
HOOVER ADVANCES
|NPENNSYLvAN|A
Mellon Control of Delegation
Seems Completely Es-
tabIished.
peciai Dispatch to The star.

Special Dispatch to The star.
HARRISBURG, Pa, March "a
With President Coolidges third dec
laration that he does not choose" 10
be a presidential candidate this year,
the likelihood that Secretary Of Com
merce Hoover will get votes of the
Pennsylvania delegation at Kansas
City increases.
AS long as there appears to be the
remotest chance that the President
could be drafted he doubtless would
be the first choice of Secretary Of the
Treasury Mellon. II he could be NOM
mated but would refuse to &C
cept nomination, 1t is felt here Secre-
tary Mellon would be aware OF the
Presidents desire and would not throw
Pennsylvania 79 votes to Coolidge to
add to his chiefs embarrassment.
AS matters now stand. it appears
likely that Hoover will get the solid
vote from Pennsylvania If the Secretary
weathers the primary contests facing
him Should the Hoover boom falter
in the primary tests, however. Secre-
tary Mellon will doubtless name the
candidate whom Pennsylvania will
support.
Few to Buck Mellon.
5nOuIu IL EdppP1 tIldL Ailr GsRtltOb
choice should be some one other than
Hoover. there is bare possibility there
would be several scattered votes for
Hoover in the delegation. nevertheless;
but the votes who will not follow the
Mellon choice are expected TO be COM
paratively few.
The Mellon control of the entire
delegation appears almost completely
established now, although the Pennsyl-
vania primary will not be held until
one month from today.
All contests have been eliminated from
| the ballots for delegate at large. the
| final one coming in court decision bar
ring the name of Franklin P. Booth.
| Pittsburgh engineer. from the ballots
as a candidate. Booth. pledged TO
Hoover, was the last candidate remain
/ ing for delegate at large not included
| in the Mellon ticket He was barred
| because his nominating petitions con-
| tanned a number OF valid signatures
| less than required by law.
| In the 36 congressional districts Re-
( publican delegates viii be elected with
/ cut oppositnon In %. In the l3 other
| districts there are l8 extra candidates.
/ but in nearly every instance the addi-
| tional candidates reflect rivalry for
| local political control rather than diff
/ ferences in choice Of presidential can
+ didates. In two Pittsburgh districts.
| however. there are candidates definitely
| committed to Hoover. opposing organ
ization candidates who have no pledge.
Sprouts Death Is Blow.
/ There will be a distinct loss TO the
/ Pennsylvania delegation through the
/ death Wednesday night of former Gov.
/ William Cameron Sproul. He was I'M
| opposed for delegate in the congression-
/ al district OF Representative Butler.
| chairman of the House committee on
naval affairs.
| In the 1920 convention. while gov
/ ernor. Sproul was the 'favorite son"
| of the Pennsylvania delegation. polling
maximum of 81 votes on the first
ballot In the convention. and remaining
| He then withdrew to aid In ending the
| deadlock and to permit the nomination
Of Warren G. Harding. Sproul had
served in the 1915 and 1920 ecnven-
/ tions.
/ From several sources among dry
| Democrats this week. there have been
I indications where some of the dry IN
| pledged delegate strength from Penn
I Sylvania in the Houston convention
may go These indications have been
/ in inSistence that the issue Of the DEM
ocratic party this year be the revela-
tionS of the Teapot Dome oil reserve
| investigation.
/ While the inSiStence IS based largely
/ on the desire 10 get away from the pro-
/ hibition issue, and on opposition 70 Gov.
| Smith Of New York. it may also mean
/ the beginning of a boom here for Sen
/ ator Walsh of Montana.
| Smith Forces Gain.
/ The greatest handicap the Smith
, forces have as vet received came this
/ week when candidates drew lots 70 de-
| tsrmine the order in which their names
will be printed on the ballots. There
/ are i3 candidates for delegate at large.
( with either four or eight to be elected.
/ depending upon whether the State ac-
ceptS the ruling OF the national or
/ State committee for certlfcation. There
/ are four anti-Smith candidates and
| nine favoring Smith.
When lots were drawn the four anti
Smith candidates won the first four
J places on the Democratic ballots Hay-
ing the four opponents OF the New
York Governor az the head of the list
on the ballots will probably mean they
will receive several thousand additional
votes. for the first positions are usually
| estimated 20 be valuable as q means OF
obtaining the vote Of those who are
not familiar with candidates names
and merely mark the first names in the
printed list, WALTER %, ROOS.