Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-13
BAKER IS DOOMED
FOR WHITE HOUSE
Friends Test Out Sentiment
of Democrats to Learn Re-
action | candidate.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

News of the activity of friends OF
Newton d. Baker who want to see him
win the Democratic nomination for the
presidency, Is beginning to trickle in
from different parts of the country. 1t
is the most significant thing that has
happened since Gov. Franklin d. Roose-
welt began to acquire q sort OF band
wagon strength a few weeks ago.
What 1t means is that the opposition
to Gov. Roosevelt has come to realize
that If somebody else isn't put up very
soon the New York Governor will get
the nomination by reclamation.
There is no such thing as yet as an
anti Roosevelt movement. The friends
of Mr.. Baker aren't working that way.
They have no objection to Mr.. Roose-
welt, but they think Newton d. Baker
will make better candidate and that
is why they are pushing him forward
at this time.
Regarded as Wet and Liberal
There is no doubt that Mr.. Baker has
a powerful hold on large number of
Democratic leaders. Also. he is widely
known throughout the country and has
particularly benefited with eX-service
men in the stories that have been pub
liShed since the war telling of the part
he played in directing operations. Gen.
Pershings book has given unstinted
praise to the former Secretary of War.
1t is, however, among the business
groups that Mr. Bakers name is most
frequently commented upon nowadays.
AS counsel for many large business
concerns and as a director of the Balti-
more g. Ohio Railroad Mr.. Baker in
the last decade has become well known
to the financial and business communi-
Of Iaa fTu Uyt1tla he lie
as a liberal, he is regarded as having
a much different point of view toward
business than the Governor of New
York.
Mr.. Baker is regarded as a wet and
his brief reputation Of the present pro-
hibition system contained in his sepa-
rate report as member OF the Wicker
sham Commission has commended him
to the wet elements in the party.
Speech Held Opening Gun.
It is apparent that the speech made
by Mr.. Baker at Williamstown, Mass,
many thousands Of copies of which have
been distributed, was en- opening gun
in the Baker campaign. There is talk
about entering Mr.. Baker in the Ohio
primaries and in the primaries of other
States. No decision is likely on this
point, however, unit | later in the year,
when it Is natural to suppose that the
anti-Roosevelt sentiment viii have re-
vealed its strength
Nobody knows whether the opposition
to MIR. Rooseve.t's nomination is gong
to be considerable or whether it viii
be confined to small groups. 1t is likely
that some of the New York Democrats,
nominated, look with favor on the
Baker candidacy
What is happening now is a testing
out OF sentiment among Democrats
generally to determine how they feel
about Mr.. Baker and whether they are
ready at this time to commit them
selves to the candidacy of soma one
other than the leader in the race. Much
will depend on business conditions next
Spring as to whether the Democratic
headers feel they must put up their
strongest candidate or whether they
think any candidate can win. There
has been very little talk about Owen
d, Young lately, but a number of
conservative Democrats think that as
Mr.. Hoover gets stronger it will re-
quire a man Of Mr.. Young's stature to
run against him.
Conservative Wing TO Decide.
Something of the same idea is being
advanced in favor of Mr.. Baker, and
it all seems to be based on the theory
that Mr.. Roosevelt does not have as
much support among the business in
terests as do some of the other men
mentioned.
Whether this is due to New York
State policies of the Governor or
whether it Is due to the fact that he
has not offered any national economic
program rs yet is hard to determine,
but the undercurrent of opposition to
the New York Governor emanates from
conservative Democratic quarters and Is
intensified somewhat by the enthusiasm
With which radical groups in the party
are embrs cling the Roosevelt cause.
It's hard to carry water on both
shoulders, but the success of the Roose-
welt candidacy depends to a large extent
On what the con serua tive oIornn-,tn L..