Evening star., 1931-12-22
National Interest Aroused
In Baker as Party Candidate

Warm Endorsements Of Newton D.
! Baker as c. sndidate for the Democratic
| nomination for the presidency come
from various parts of the country, and
a number of leading Democratic pa pers
nave Joined the movement for his
nomination, though Mr. Baker himself
is not seeking the Office. While it is
, generally conceded that Gov. Roosevelt
is at present the leading contender for
the nomination, the increasing strength
of the former Secretary of War is plac-
ing him well up in the race.
The Richmond News Leader, strong
supporter OF Mr.. Baker, sums up its
view of the situation IN the statement .
For two years, by the slow and certain
process of elimination, one man has
emerged as pre-eminently fitted to be
the servant of the Nation at this time,
and that man is Newton D. Baker. So
far from seeking Office, he has, to the
diSmay of his friends, steadfastly waved
1t aside; he has refused to ask for dele =
gates. and even to accept proffered
delegation. He has said that his wish
is to spend his days in peace, and he
has backed up this protestation by an
answering refusal to do anything, or
to permit his friends to do anything
that would make him a prospective
candidate" Contending that Mr.. Baker
has no conception Of the hosts of
faithful citizens who. though nominally
Republican, are turning to him and his
leadership as the only solution of our
present despair" the Richmond paper
declares: 1T is not question Of what
Mr.. Baker wants to do. 1t is question
of what Mr.. Baker has got to do. He
has been called with an inSistence no
one can deny, and which every one
must appreciate"
Another Virginia supporter, the Roa-
| noke World-NeWS, finds much the same
| situation, commenting: "AS one after
another public man has been reviewed
and found wanting in some essential,
Mr.. Baker stands out more and more
pre-eminently as the man best fitted to
serve America in this crisis. That he is
not seeking the Office, that he has not
even permitted friends to use his name
| as a possible candidate, is beside the
mark. The Nation needs man of the
Baker type The World-News pays
| tribute to Mr. Bakers qualifications, oe-
clarlng, He has the qualities Of states
manShip to make a great President and
great leader in a time when leader
ship was never more strikingly needed,
nor more startlingly absent from Amer
icah public life"
While agreeing that Roosevelt's can
| dldacy still appears to be in the lead, -
| the Newark Evening News recognizes
| that Newton Baker Is coming fast and
Albert Ritchie is by no means out of
the running" The Evening News con-
| cludes: Pretty soon Mr.. Baker will
have to declare his intentions under
the Ohio law If he wishes to sew up the
| Ohio delegation. 1t is probable he will
remain aloof and that may make him
who would feel honored If nominated
but who have had enough of public
| life to refrain from fighting to get dele
gates. Mr.. Roosevelt is different. He
really wants the nomination, but he is
| not ready to say so. That is under
! standable and honorable, but he had
better look out for the man from Cleye-
| land"
President Wilson'S Secretary of War" /"
according to the Philadelphia Evening
Bulletin, "is not a candidate for the
Democratic presidential nomination. He
| has turned aside the proffer Of the Ohio
! delegation. preferring to assume that it
VIII stand for the nomination of Gov.
White. But the Baker movement goes
on, nevertheless. It has an unques-
toned appeal to q considerable ele-
ment, In and out Of the Democratic
party. II Virginia leads, more of the
South will follow. And If the Virginia
editor has come to the point of deter
mination, he is likely to have started
something that will give the Ohio lead
er little opportunity to say no."
y \
the standard bearer, with united party
behind him from the start" in the
opinion of the Charlotte Observer,
would prove formidable opponent for