Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-15
SMITHS RACE ATTRACTS
WIDE EUROPEAN INTEREST
Questions of War Debts and Prohibition
Cause Most Discussion of Future
American Policy.

ties are equally nationalistic and the
party which advocates a huge Navy
proposes to outlaw war
How is it possible for Europe 70 I'M
derstand the political manifr tltions
of a people which agrees on all The Is
sues Europeans divide over and then
proceeds to invent whole new set of
issues over which, to the European
mind, it is impossible for sane men and
women to disagree? European liberals
and radicals have time and again ac-
cepted the natural premise that the
great American democracy must BE-
sympathetic with their programs, only
to discover that those same programs
seemed in American eyes akin to boil
sheviSm. AS for European conserya-
tives, they have found all possibility OF
cooperation blocked by the tradition o.
isolation professed by the party which
to their minds is natural ally.
Thus. If 1t were not for prohibition
the European would have to give up tn
riddle of American politics. He woul
of it.
In European eyes Gov. Smith Is tn
prophet who is trying to lead his peopl
out of-not the wilderness, but thu
desert. To be sure, Europe hopes ever
better things for itself of the Governor
of New York If he goes to the White
House. 1t has accepted the dictum that
the Republican party is based upon q
richly mixed fear and hatred of Europe
1t has gathered from the great battle
over the League of Nations the con-
clusion that the Democratic party IS
to say the very least, more kindly In
upon President Wilson's party this year,
Europe will hope for resuscitation OF
many Wilsonian principles and Of many
principles which Europe believes were
Wilsonian.
Debts and Drinks Linked.
But to sum up the European view OF
our approaching election 1t is enough To-
say that for the masses and the classes
alike the outstanding circumstances are.
in the matter Of foreign policy, the
question of debts and In the matter OF
domestic policy, the question Of drinks.
The questions are not joined, but the
party which would cancel the debts is
the party which would, speaking figura-
lively, set up the drinks. So, at least, II
seems to Europe.
And naturally on both issues Europe
Is with Smith. Not that Europe has any
real fear that prohibition NAV extend to
its own territories. Bolshevism and pro-
hibitiOn. the red peril and the blue,
have long ceased to constitute a real
menace to European happiness. There
are certainly more Communists than
foes Of the saloon in Europe, but there
are not enough of either to awaken
alarm. Even the Soviets, while stick
ing to Bolshevism, have abandoned pro-
hibition. But in an odd sort Of way
Europe Is rather sorry for the parched
millions Of America. 1t Is troubled
about the whole matter as it never was
quite as much troubled over other ex-
traordinary things, like the Armenian
massacres and the periodic Balkan ex-
plosions
Mr. Hoover's thesis that on the eco
nomic side prohibition has promoted
efficiency, that the money which used
to go over the bar on Saturday night
to pay for the drinks of the husband
now flows out on Monday morning to
pay for the washing. no longer done at
home, leaves Europe cold. In fact. it
only serves to confirm the general no
ton that the battle of 1928 is between
the vets and the drys.
Hoover Is Better Known.
As personality Gov Smith has never
yet been translated to catch the Euro
pean eye. All the individuality which
has made him national figure is as yet
limited by the ocean. Hoover, the man.
is known-in some ways even better
known than In the United States But
so far Smith is purely and simply the
protagonist of the repeal Of the prohihi-
ton laws.
In an odd sort Of way prohibition has
served to diminish rather than increase
American unpopularity in Europe. 1t
has appealed to the European sense Of
humor. Even our prosperity, sharply
contrasted with the postwar poverty
across the Atlantic. has seemed little
less overpowering
Europe has decided that there may be
q change 1t believes that the twin
American ideas of isolation and pro-
hibition are not only doomed. but on
the verge of passing. But for these two
limitations 1t believes that Americans
might In time become good Europeans.
And while Hoover is remembered as the
man who gave Europe food. Smith Is
coming to be identified as the man who
is trying to give America drink.
tcopyright. 1917