Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-25
rum IS NOT LONE
ISSUE, SAYS RASK0B
Democratic Chief DisavoWs
Desire to Dictate Party
Nomination.


NEW YORK, April 25.-With the as
sertion he did not propose to make
prohibition the single issue in 1882,
Chairman John ]. RaSkob of the Demo-
cratic National Committee. last night
sailed for Europe. He said also that
he did not intend to dictate the party S
nominee for President in 1892.
Both he and former Gov. Alfred Z.
Smith, who babe him bon voyage,
denied that any sanctioned survey had
been made to determine the relative
strength of the party's potential candi-
dates in 1882.
IT am not prepared to say" said
former Gov. Smith, whom will sup
port for the nomination"
Raskob, recalling q conference here
Wednesday with Jouett Shouse, chair
man Of the Democratic Executive Com
mittee, said the only thing discussed
at that time was the proposition Of rails
ing funds to wipe out $650.000 deficit
of the National Committee and give it
q financial start for next year.
"I have no information concerning
the relative strength Of Gov. Franklin
D, Roosevelt or of any other potential
candidate" said Mr.. Raskob, no one
has made with the sanction of the COM
mittee any study with regard to the
strength throughout the country of the
various men and none will be made.
Left 10 Convention.
az, as chairman of the committee,
will take no action regarding the Selec-
ton of a candidate. The nomination
of a candidate rightfuIly belongs TO the
convention and il I, as chairman, should
attempt to dictate tit certainly would
be a breach of Democratic principles.
Our efforts will be and should be given
to building an organization TO win"
In a prepared statement Mr.. RaSkob
said he was continually asked whether
1 believe prohibition will be the chief
issue in the next campaign"
My opinion is that the principal and
most important issues will be prohibit
ton, the tariff, farm relief and eco
nomic problems touching principally on
such social changes as are necessary
to lessen the severity of future depres-
sions and particularly the unemploy-
ment conditions incident thereto. 1t Is
difficult and not at all necessary to at
tempt to classify these issues in the
order OF their importance"
Optimistic Of Conditions.
He again outlined the prohibition
plan he discussed at the recent Wash
ington meeting of the National Com
mittee.
"a great many of our Democratic
friends seem to believe that the chair
man Of the National Committee is try
ing to make prohibition an issue. Moth
ing Is further from the truth. The facts
are that our surveys show that pro-
hibition is bound to be an important
issue, and the reason for discussion and
consideration at this time is that it
becomes extremely important TO have
ample time for full, fair, frank and
open discussion II our party hopes to
arrive at a conclusion that can be re-
duced to a platform plank that can be
adopted at our next national conven-
ton.
ION the business situation I am con-
servatively bulliSh. I believe we are
practically through all the liquidation
necessary to establish business on q
real rock foundation. am
sure the hope Of all engaged In big in
dustry is that wage reductions will
prove unnecessary. In the stock
market it is my feeling that the bears
are overriding their side OF the market
very much as the bulls overstayed the
bull side in 1929"