Evening star., 1931-12-30
BAKER BOOM FADES
.'W|TH LEAGUE PLEA
President-MakerS Believe In
diana Address Eliminates
Him as Candidate.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

dinner IN winchester, 1Ilu' 1OI4uo }
night. has taken on considerable signlh-
canoe for the PreSident-makers IN
Washington.
Some Of them asserted today that
Mr. Bakers continued adherence to the
League of Nations and prediction that
This country eventually would become
member had the effect of f1attening out
whatever chance his friends had oi
nominating him for President on the
Democratic ticket next year.
In these DAYS. when it is popular II
this country to demand a Scrapplng of
the Versailles treaty and TO insist there
shall be no cancellation Of the debts
owed this country by European nations
a recommendation that at sometime
this country join the League OF Ma
tions would not appear to flt IN wei
with the Democratic platform next year
nor with the Democratic nominee 1ol
President. The League issue is not one
the Democrats are aiming TO raise III
1882.
Long League Advocate.
Mr.. Bakers attitude on international
questions, particularly the League ol
. Nations, has been one OF the arguments
advanced by Democrats against the
nomination Of Woodrow Wilson'S sec
retary of War next year. He was one
OF the most ardent supporters Of Amer
sican adherence to the League In the
1924 convention at Madison Square
Garden. when the Democrats SideStep-
red and compromised on the League
issue. turning down minority report
from the Resolutions Committee sub
initted by Mr.. Baker declaring un-
eouivocally for the League.
{er If War has ~
sisted consistently that he is not can
didate for the presidential nomination
next year. Notwithstanding, some OF
his friends in Ohio and elsewhere have
f, launched q movement for Baker for
= President
Perhaps Mr.. Bakers declaration re-
aarding American entry into the League
of Nations at Winchester Monday nlght
WAS one way for him out of the race
for the nomination At all events, Mr..
Baker has put his friends and his party
. ON notice Of what may be expected Oh
him II he becomes candidate or De-
comes President regarding the League
of Nations, the World Court and greater
cooperation by this country with lor-
eign nations.
VIII Miss Dinner.
= So far as is known here at Demo-
cratic headquarters, Mr.. Baker Is noC
nlanninR to come to Washington for the
jackson day dinner on January ., Whlch
is to take place on the eve OF meet
, inr of the Democratic National Com
mittee. II he does not come, he Will
he in the same boat as Gov. Roosevelt
OF New York, so far as the dinner is
concerned. Not little has been made
of the fact Gov. Roosevelt, leading
candidate for the presidential nomlna-
ton, is to be absent from the dinner
The Jackson day dinner, Whlch Is
being held under the auspices OF the
Democratic National Committee, Is not
apparently designed, however, to give
presidential aspirants an opportunity 10
show their oratorical PAGES.
The program of speakers calls for
cnlv three-former Gov, Cox of Ohio,
John w Davis and former Gov. Alfred
r. Smith Of New York All were nom
inees of their party for President In
the past-Cox in 1920, Davis in 1924
and Smith in 1928 OF these three, Al
Smith is the only man who has been
widely talked Of as a presidential pos
sibility next year.
But the fact that Gov. Smith has
permitted himself to be placed among
the ex-preSidential candidates" on
this program is interpreted in some
quarters as meaning that he Is out OF
the picture, except that he intends to
have as much influence as he can i'll
the next National Convention wnen it
comes to nominating a candidate Tor
President and writing a platform.
Just how many Of the Democrats
listed in who's Who for President" in
1882 will attend the Jackson day dinner
here is not known. No word has come yet
from George White, Governor Of Ohio,
who is expected to have the Ohio dele
cations support at the convention next
year it was said today. Gov. Ritchle
OF MARYLAND, on the other hand, IS
expected here. Invitations were sent
to all the Democratic Governors OF
States.
There has been a lot of fog recently
about the possible candidacy for the
presidential nomination both OF Mr..
Baker and of Gov. Smith. The opinion
in informed circles here among the
Democrats is that neither Baker nor
Smith wishes the nomination, despite
gossip to the contrary.
Dispatches today bring the informa-
tion that Mr.. Baker is not TO 80 to the
national convention next year as dele
gate, an ofice which he has held nu
snerouS times in the past, and that he
expects TO go to Europe this Summer.
This might be interpreted as meaning
that. after all. he was a receptive can
.didate for the nomination and there
fore did not intend to become a dele
gate TO the convention which might
nominate him.
= On the other hand, it might also be
Interpreted as meaning that he was
going to keep clear of the whole affair,
determined not to be mixed up in presi-
Dental politics until after the party has
picked some other candidate for Presi-
hent
- Delegation for White.
:, Ohio Democratic leaders are not in
Clined to take seriously ct present the
drive inaugurated by former Repre-
sentative Martin L. Davey to bring
about the nomination Of Baker. They
Jay that the delegation will go to the
convention for Gov. White, and that's
that.
= Opponents CT the nomination Of Gov.
Roosevelt for President, however, have
been banking a lot on Baker and Smith
TO stop the Roosevelt band wagon
Some of them do not want either Smith
or Baker for the party nominee. But
they are seeking to use them to beat
Roosevelt in the convention.
The Roosevelt opposition is no weak
thing, despite the fact that the New
York Governor has been conceded to be
''out an the lead" for months in the pre-
convention race. There is not the slight
est doubt that Chairman John J. RaS-
Eob OF the Democratic National Com
mittee is against the nomination OF
Roosevelt, although he is keeping pub
licly out Of the presidential race, as ma
tional chairmen are supposed TO do.
sRaSkob would rather take owen d.
Young or Newton d. Baker than Gov.
Roosevelt. much rather. In some quar-
tiers 1t has been suggested that he would
rather have his old friend Gov. Smith
than any one else.
The silence of AL Smith on the Ques-
tipn 1of Democratic presidential politics
has been thick enough to cut with a
knife. Nevertheless. it Ia reliably re-
ported that Gov. Smith has taken a
definite stand against any effort 10