Evening star., 1931-11-29
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

tion, growing more complex anc
more interesting, is developing
- along lines somewhat similar tc
the contest in which woodrow
Wilson won the presidential nomination
IL l912-though 1t would be a mistake
to suppose this analogy is perfect, ol
that Roosevelt now is as sure to win a:
Wilson turned out to be then. Whether
Roosevelt has the quality to attract anc
stir the public that Wilson developed
in 1912 will appear when the State pri-
marieS begin, which will not be unit
next April. So far Roosevelts strength
has taken chiefly the form of indorse-
ment by local leaders here and there
together with the formation Of some
"Roosevelt-for- President clubs. Clubs
like that are more significant for what
they may accomplish after they get
under way than for the mere fact oi
their arising.
What most often happens in the
formation of such - for President
clubs is that some local individual
either personal enthusiast for some
public man or eager to further his own
local political fortunes, starts a club
gives it the name Of nationally known
pucllc character, perhaps prints some
stationery and rents a room-and is
thereafter known as the local Jones
leader" or Brown leader" or whatnot
IT is usually a one-man enterprise
Rather rarely does it happen that a
great gathering of the public comes to-
Rether spontaneously and composes a
Club.
This does not alter the fact that these
- for President" clubs can and often
are made important starting points and
centers for propaganda and organiza-
tion serviceoble to the candidates for
whom they are named. If Roosevelt
enters the various State primaries these
local Roosevelt for President" clubs will
be very useful to him and will give him
further what he already has, a long
start ahead of all other aspirants.
VIII Decide Prohibition.
The next immediate stage in clarifi-
cation OF RooSevelt'S fortunes will occur
when the Democratic National Commit
tee meets in Washington on January 8.
That meeting will have an extremely
powerful bearing on Roosevelt's for
tunes and on the fundamentally allied
problem, which is: what the Democratic
party is going to do about prohibition.
To understand this coming meeting
OF the Democratic National Committee
and its significance, it is necessary to
TecaH the last one, held in March.
Early last Winter Chairman John j.
Raskob OF the Democratic National
Committee alarmed his dry critics in
the party and surprised everybody by
calling a meeting of the committee
Mr.. Raskob'S action was unusual, for 1t
Us rare that meeting of a national
committee Is held at such a time-na-
tional committees in both parties meet
as rule only during presidential years.
The unusualneSs of Raskobs call GER
tainly alarmed the Democratic drys.
They felt 1t boded some i'll to their
dry cause and they came to the meet
ang in mood for controversy.
Chairman Raskob made a proposal,
startling to the drys, that the National
Committee should Suggest and advise"
that the Democratic National Conven-
tion and the Democratic party take
position favoring return of the control
OF liquor to the States. AS Mr. Raskob
concluded his suggestion he asked,
rather naively. whether any one de-
sired to discuss it. Many did. The dis
cusSton came, flood of it.
Suggestion Is Denounced.
Raskob's suggestion was opposed
along two lines. 1t was denounced,
strongly-indeed. Mr.. RaSkob person.
ally was almost denounced-by dry
Senator Morrison of North Carolina,
and dry Senator Robinson Of Arkansas,
who said, The pirate flag of an out
the Democratic party"
Along different line Mr. Raskob's
proposal was opposed by dry Senator
CordeH Hull of Tennessee on the
ground, in effect. that prohibition
should not be made a political issue;
that the Democrats have chance, and
q duty, to win the coming presidential
election on economic issues. and that
the prohibition issue should not be
Thrust into the situation.
The discussion of Mr.. RaSkob's wet
proposal at the meeting of the Demo-
cratic National Committee last March,
on its merits, was dramatic, rather un-
comfortably so, from the point of view
OF Democratic harmony. But vastly
more important was quiet, though
wholly public development, having to
do with Gov. Roosevelt of New York
Mr.. Raskob's wet proposal was dis
approved by the representative Of
New York State in the National Com
1nittee, who took the position that it
was not a proper matter for the Ma
tional Committee to act upon. This
disapproval by the New York State
committeeman made a sensation It
was universally attributed to or aSso-
clated with Gov Roosevelt; it was taken
for granted by every politician that the
national committeeman from New
York did not take so important a step
without consultation with the Demo-
cratic Governor of the State. 1t was
assumed likewise that this attitude of
New York State was taken with view
to the fortunes of Gov. Roosevelt as a
presumed aSpirant for the Democratic
presidential nomination.
New York Steps Aside.
This was real political development.
New York, as probably the wettest State
in the Union. and especially the New
York democracy, might be presumed to
side with Mr.. RaSkob in the wet step he
had taken. Indeed, it seemed safe to
guess. and actually was guessed, that
Mr.. Raskob counted on the support of
New York-without having taken the
precaution first to inquire of Gov
Roosevelt. Mr.. Raskob knew that ex-
Gov. Smith was for him and may have
presumed too daringly that all the
democracy of New York State would
follow ex-Gov. Smiths leadership on
this point including Gov. Roosevelt. In
any event, once New York State op-
posed Mr.. RaSkobS move, once this very
heart of the wet territory stepped aside
Mr.. Raskob's proposal was doomed
This was the beginning of what i
now described as a cleavage between
Gov Roosevelt and ex-Gov. Smith. Ur