Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-02
SMITH STILL MUM
ON STUMP PLANS
itinerary Reported Studied,
but Governor Maintains
Silence.
Special pispatch TO The Star.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
ALBANY, N. Y, September Prob
ably the greatest general interest in
National political affairs in New York
State this week centers in the campaign
plans of Gov. Smith. 1t is an interest
which is undoubtedly shared by large
part of the country, for voters every
where are wondering whether they are
to have an opportunity to see and hear
the Empire States colorful chief execu-
tive as he campaigns for the presi-
dency.
September has come and still not
one definite announcement has been
made as to a single speaking engage
ment or stump" plan of the Demo-
cratic candidate. During the week 1t
was said that at the National head
quarters in New York train schedules.
were being studied and tentative itin-
eraries being worked out. Three definite
routes were reported to have been set
up but still there was a complete silence
on the part of all. including the gov
ernor.
One of these tentative schedules is
said to have contemplated swing
across the continent to the Pacific. with
two or three speeches in Hoover's own
State of California. Only two things
are certain about the Smith cam
paign and these are the unwiliingness of
the governor to speak out OF doors and
his desire to rely to An extent never
before contemplated upon the radio
to reach the voters
Bans Train Speeches.
II the governor has his way, and he
is one who has been In the habit of
doing so, there will be no train platform
speeches, nor will there be any great
open air mass meetings to be addressed
by him. His voice can not stand the
strain of outdoor speaking, he holds,
and above all things he wants to have
perfect speaking voice for the end of
the campaign. The last 10 days, the
governor has said, are, in his mind, the.
most important of the entire drive, and
he wants 10 be able to speak then as
he has never spoken before.
Aside from the uncertainty and the
growing restlessness as to the gov
ernors campaign itinerary, the out
standing political event of the week
seemed to be a decidedly vigorous crop
Of claims Of electoral votes for the two
candidates by their managers To the
ordinary observers, 1t appeared to be a
bit early to be counting electoral votes.
even in American politics, where the
roseate hues of prediction prognos-
tications are traditional But never
theless the count began vigorously,
with John j. Raskob. Democratic ma
tional chairman, claiming no less than
N Al ale KN% %~s
Smith.
As was to be expected, the reaction
In @. O. P. quarters was almost in
Simultaneous. Ridiculous" was the
characterization of the claim by West
ern Republican leaders who called at
Hoover headquarters In New York i'm
mediately after the Raskob prediction
was published They declared that
several States included in the Raskob
claim were sure to be Republican, mem
tioning specifically Oklahoma. Ne
braska, Colorado. Wyoming, Nevada
and Minnesota. L. c. Hinkle, State
chairman for Wyoming, denied that
Smith had chance there. where their
chief interests are those on which the
Republican party has made a clear and
satisfactory record.
See Hope In South.
More than that. most OF the leaders
professed to feel that Hoover has an
excellent chance of breaking into the
solid South.
Instead of chasing rainbows In
other sections of the country. the
Democratic managers would do well to
take steps for the preservation of the
solidarity of the South" was the COM
ment Of Senator George II. Moses,
Eastern director of the Hoover-Curtis
campaign.
Then Senator Moses got in his own
electoral vote prediction. Hoover will
get no less than 276 with more prob
able, he said. The necessary majority
for a choice is 266 and he proceeded to
particularize, Just as MFR. Raskob had.
At any rate. he declared, the Repub-
leans would not cease their campaign
because Mr.. Raskob has announced
that the whole thing Is lin the bag"
Gov. Smith has always been popular
with labor interests In his own State
1t was therefore quite natural that he
should receive formal Endorsement this
week from these old-time friends. AT
its biennial session here during the
week, the legislative board of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen
and Enginemen of the State Endorsed
the governors candidacy, declaring the
governor always to have been IAN out
standing friend of labor"
Then at Its sixty-fifth annual con-
ventlon In Rochester, the State Fedora
ton Of Labor adopted resolution
piedging the sincere and energetic"
support of organized labor in New York
to the governors candidacy. The in
PRODUCTION of the resolution was the
signal for real demonstration.
THOMAS G.. STOWELL.