Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-02
BAND WAGON RUSH LOOMS
AS ROOSEVELT BOOM GAINS
Support of Leading Smith Men Taken as
an Indication That AL Will Back
Governors Nomination.

not oppose Roosevelt implacably: IN
deed, Roosevelt will have the delega.
tionS from some Southern States. The
South is no less dry than ever. but they
DO not think of Roosevelt as wet in any
sense strongly offensive to them. The
South also has rather reconciled Itself
to the expectation that the next Demo-
cratic nominee will be a wet, and IL
feels a little relieved to have the wet
so comparatively mild a one as they
consider Roosevelt to be- The South
will fight to the last ditch to keep the
platform declaration dry. or at least
keep it from being wet. Provided they
win the platform point. they will not
seriously oppose Roosevelt for the nomi-
nation. Quite possibly Roosevelt. with
the weight he Is certain to have in the
convention, may tacitly accommodate
and help the South in keeping the plat
form from being wet.
Band Wagon Rush Looms.
What has come about constitutes def
nitely a new phase in the Democratic
situation. 1t WAS the intention Of the
Democratic leaders, including some
friendly to Roosevelt, to keep the nomi-
nation in suspense, not to permit it TO
be foreclosed, until the convention meets
or shortly before. 1t was their convic-
ton that as matter of prudence. II
nothing else, there should be no FORE
closure before May or June OF next year.
In that expectation. however. the key
stone was former Gov. Smith Smith
Is by far the most powerful individual
in the party. If Smith is now permit
ting his friends to indorse Roosevelt at
SO early time as the present, and II
politicians generally observe this,
Roosevelt is apt to become the bene-
ficiary Of band wagon rush" on the
part of local leaders and local potential
delegates all over the country.
The leaders who expected to preserve
the Democratic situation in suspense
until the eve of the convention did
not count on Roosevelt being SO agrees
SiVe a candidate as he has been COR his
friends in his behalf. And they
counted on other aSpirants being more
aggressive. AS it has turned out, Roose-
welt is the only candidate who is acting
as a candidate in States other than his
own. Activities in behalf Of Newton
D. Baker do not extend outside Ohio.
On behalf of Gov. Albert Richie OF
Maryland they do not extend outside
Maryland. On behalf of Senator Rob-
inson they do not extend outside
Arkansas. "a few other Southern
States will instruct their delegates for
RobinSon.)
If this condition continues it would
seem as il Roosevelt's might be the
only name entered in the presidential
primaries of many of the States in
which the presidential primary is the
method of selecting delegates.
The drys have not been as energetic
as was anticipated, either in opposing
Roosevelt or in putting forward a can
didate Of their own. There was talk
Of the drys holding conference either
at Atlanta Of at Chicsgo to choose a
candidate about whom they could rally.
but that has come to nothing. There
was talk of the drys in California. for
example. entering william @. McAdoo
in the race, but that has come to MOTH
ing.
Baker Is Reluctant.
The one possibility of really formida-
BILE opposition to Gov. Roosevelt centers
about Newton D. Baker of Ohio The
handicap to that lies in Bakers appar-
ent reluctance to be as aggressive
candidate as Roosevelt is. If some
new and younger COL House. ambitious
TO make a President. should take up
Mr.. Baker il the Warwick were will
ing to exert the necessary energy and
expend the necessary time. and il he
would organize into actual delegates the
potential strength that Baker has-in
that succession OF Ifs" lies a major
political opportunity for some one. But
1t would take time hard work and no
inconSiderable amount Of money for
indispensable and perfectly legitimate
uses.
Baker. II a Nationwide energetic
fight were made in his behalf could
get fully as many delegates as Roose-
welt. He could even take from Roose-
welt many of the delegates in the New
York group of States that Roosevelt
now seems destined to get.
Other than energetic promotion OF
Newton D. Baker, another handicap 10
Roosevelt lies in precisely what the
Democratic leaders foresaw and feared
when they hoped 70 keep the nominal
ton in suspense until the eve of the
convention. If it should become APP
parent at so early time as the present
that Roosevelt is likely to get the
nomination largely by default. he be-
comes in effect a presidential candi-
data presidential candidate in the
campaign SenSe-more than Is months
ahead of the election. The risks that
normally a candidate runs for only the
3 months of the campaign become, in
RooSevelt's case. extended over IS
months. During every day of that
time Roosevelt will run the risk OF
accident. If the accident happens, and
IL it is 50 damaging as to be fatal. and
if the Democratic leaders are obliged to
deny the nomination to Roosevelt after
he has been so far in front, that would
constitute serious party misfortune.