Evening star., 1928-05-02
Politics at Large
By C.. Could Lincoln.


heads of IL national labor organizations
to cast its strength for Herbert Hoover
In the Indiana primary on May g. The
labor chiefs regard the anti -Hooverites
as eventual supporters Of Vice President
Dawes. and they prefer Mr.. Hoover
to the Vice President as they plainly
state In their letter. The railroad
brotherhoods are taking the initiative
in this matter, and Indiana has many
important railroad centers. The effect
Of the appeal is likely to go much
farther than the confines Of Indiana,
for there has grown to be feeling that
the real struggle in the Republican
national convention will be between
the followers Of the Secretary Of Com
merce and those who support the norni-
nation of Vice-President Dawes. Sena-
tor Watson in Indiana. the favorite son
candidate, has been hailed from the
first as a friend of the Vice President,
ready to shift the 33 delegates Of In
diana to Gen. Dawes.
% " X
The railroad brotherhoods, in their
official organ. Labor, are carrying THIS
week articles supporting the Hoover
candidacy In Indiana and opposing Wat
son and Dawes. Numbers of this edl-
ton will be sent into the State, although
no special edition is planned because
of the brief time intervening before
the primary. They have representa-
tives actively at work among the rail-
road men and other labor organizations
in the State.
The efforts Of the labor organiza-
tions are directed at present IN sup
port of Mr. Hoover, as among the re
publican candidates for President. IL Is
explained. After the Republican and
Democratic nominations have been
made, however. organized labor VIII
have to decide between the two poiltl-
cal parties and their candidates. Such
a decision has not been made ana VIII
not be made until after the natloiial
conventions of both parties. According
TO the officials OF the brotnernoodS,
Vicc-PreSident Dawes came into as
favor with organized labor aIter tne
World War, when it Is said ne oecaIne
interested in an organization support
ing the principle OF mJuncIloiiS asalllss
organized labor. They say tnat 4aool
has not lost sight OF that TACT.
X Il X +
II has for months been foregone
conclusion that a Senate campaign m
vestipating committee would be autnor-
ized Indeed. such a committee mas
flInctioned in every national campaign
since and including 1920 and during
the senatorial campaign OF l9zo. Inc
Senate adopted as a matter OF course
the resolution offered by Senator Rooin-
son of Arkansas, Democratic leaoer, on
Monday. The resolution calls LOT
special committee Of five 10 conouct
whatever Investigations may be neceS
sary. There has been scarcity o1
money in the pre-cOnvention cam
paigns I'D to date that has been some
what unusual according TO political
leaders. If money has been eXpendeo
in large quantities, 1t has been quietly
and through channels hitherto not
used But so far there have been no
charges of undue expenditures. NO
! s,lrh charges were made by Senator
Robinson when he offered the reSolu-
ticn 10 the Senate. He merely SAID tnat
the appointment of similar Senate COM
mittees in the past has served useIaI
purpose. -. .--.
| charges have been made that large
sums of money were being used to IN
fiuence the electorate improperly. II
Is likely they will be made during the
coming campaign. But the chances
are that candidates and their mana
GERS viii be very careful of eXpendi-
hlres in this year 1928. The Demo-
Gratis already have raised the issue OF
corruption against the Republicans
The Republicans naturally will be care
full 70 see that nothing be done TO give
the Democrats any new cause OF COM
ulaint. and the Democrats will be care
fll not TO give the Republicans an op-
portunity to shift the. issue. against
them.
The Democrats are seeking more and
more a harmonious gathering in HouS-
ton. Tex. Many OF the antl-Smi;h
leaders have become more reconciled 10
his nomination. There are. 10 be sure.
bitter-enders against Smith. But his
apparent popularity in many parts OF
the country has given his opponents a
surprise. 1t has lent Semolance OF
truth, too. 10 the suggestion that smith
can win in the November election
against the Republican nominee. Some
OF the Democrats, and Republicans, too,
are inclined To forget, however, that
some of the Western States where Smith
has been rolling up delegates to the
national convention in recent weeks are
overwhelmingly Republican. and that
the remnant of the Democratic party
left in those States is likely TO be for
Smith. Woodrow Wilson in 1915 won
the election with the support OF Middle
West and Western States. But PreSl-
dent Wilson made an appeal 10 the
West which AL Smith does not make
He had. too, the slogan, He kept us
out OF wari" which more than anything
else gave him the West. Smith has
nothing to offer the West SO far, He Is
a New Yorker, Tammany man ana
wet.
The supporters Of Senator Charles
Curtis for the presidential nomi-
nation are aroused over statements
made BY former Gov, Henry j.
Allen OF Kansas that Hoover Is the
second choice of many Kansas Re-
publicans. They are insisting that Kan
Sas has no second choice, and that
reports of Aliens statements have
aroused sentiment in the state 10 en
unusual degree The Kansas delegation
to the Republican national convention
viii stick TO Senator Curtis to the last.
I undoubtedly Senator Curtis Is regard
| cd in many quarters as a likely COM
| promise candidate in the event the con-
vention is deadocked by the supporters
| OF Hoover. Iowden, Dawes and some Of
the favorite son candidates.
-
When Mr. Hoover decided 70 enter
the West Virginia primary, which IS To
be held May %, he took ON another
favorite SON Senator Con Of West Vir-
ginia Senator Gotf has been opposed
to the candidacy OF Mr. Hoover, ac-
cording TO reports The announcement
| that he would seek the iaVorite SON
presidential preference III West Virginia
| was interpreted AS part OF the anti
Hoover campaign. The claim of the
| Hoover supporters is that their candi-
date makes real appeal TO the rank
and file of the voters. His entry into
the various primaries, especially when