Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-11
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

- OV. FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT
of New York continues in
T class by himself as respects
~ the Democratic presidential
nomination He is in a class
by himself in the sense that he Is very
much in the lead, and that he is the
only one who is running or in whose
oehalf there is organized activity in
States additional to his own. All the
others mentioned are, so far, candi"
dates in their own States only. In be-
half of none of the others is there any
general effort by friends and supporters
in a national way. Roosevelt, in short,
is the only one whose candidacy is on
nationwide basis.
If this condition goes on to the end
there can be only one outcome to it,
The axiom that You can't beat some
body with nobody" includes, among its
meanings, the fact that one strong
candidate running in practically every
State cannot be beaten by field OF
candidates each of whom confines his
efforts, or whose friends conflne their
efforts, to the candidates own State.
Some of the Democratic leaders, some
of the best and ablest minds in the
party, believe that Roosevelt will be
held. BY held they do not neces-
sarily mean that he will be beaten or
UIldG IL Is GIlSI WlSIl 10 DSdI AAlhls AhCS
are rather passive toward him as
candidate. If he continues to develop
popular support all over the country,
they will be quite willing to let him
have the nomination. What they want
is success. a Democrat in the White
House, and if Roosevelt gives better
promise of success in the ultimate fight
against the Republicans, they will be as
pleased with the New York Governor
y1,itl1
Premature Choice Undesired.
Granting this mental attitude to some
of the important Democratic leaders.
granting them an attitude essentially
net hostile to Roosevelt, an attitude,
indeed, quite tolerant of Roosevelt
granting all that. the Democratic lead
ers are firm on one point. They think
too much risk is involved in letting
position where he has the nomination
foreclosed-"in the bag" or "sewed
up" to use the political slang for such
situations-a year ahead of the election.
They think there is danger In that,
danger to the party and danger to
Roosevelt himself.
To prevent the nomination from be-
ing foreclosed nine months ahead of
the convention and year ahead of the
ready to make some effort, and are
making some. The effort is not very
active but rather passive. 1t consists
in no more than allowing. or, in few
cases, arranging. that enough other
candidates shall come to the conven-
ton with the delegation from their
respective States to make in the aggre-
gate sufficient to veto Roosevelt's NOM
ination, if veto of it should seem in the
best interests of the party at the time
the convention meets.
There are enough favorite sons from
enough States. large and small, to
hold Roosevelt, if that course should
seem desirable when the convention
meets. The Missouri delegation will
come with ex-senator James A. Reed
as their candidate. The Virginia dele
cation will come with ex-Gov. Harry
Byrd (brother of the admiraD as their
candidate. The Ohio delegation will
come with some eminent son of that
State as their candidate, either Newton
D. Baker or Gov George White. The
New Jersey delegation will come, not
with candidate Of their OWL but IN