The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-12-24
TALKING
IT OVER
BY JOE WILLIAMS

NEW YORK, Dec. 24.-Those
4 = who presume to know tell
you that Franklin D. Roosevelt is
a good six-two-and-even bet to be
the next President Of the United
States, and I think it is fair enough
to take an optimistic chance, at
the moment, and agree that they
are still united.
one Of the closest men to Mr.. Roosevelt
is a round-faced, out-spoken baldish and
thoroughly independent Irishmen named
the ringside on fight nights. It's his
business 70 be there. He is chairman OF
the New York boxing commission.
The truth Is. he is more than that. He
IS the commission. II Mr.. Farley DEGREES
that the heavyweight champion OF the
Of the world, It follows somehow that he
isn't. Not so far as. New York Is con-
cerned. anyway; And in the matter Of
Important. Whether it is wholly fair or
not Is something else.
1t IS no myth that Max Schmeling will
meets JacE sharke key IN the en Minds Of ira
lot Of people this comes under the head
q q ,ghastly threat-they remember the
It seems that Mr. Farley had some sort
OF Rentleman's agreement with Sehmeling.
growing out Of charity show, that his
Schmeling fought Stribling. II you tell
Mr.. Farley you are going 70 GO thing
nc expects you TO do. II. II you don't
You're out. SO Schmeling continues to be
out.
XTERY shortly, Mr.. Farley is go
Y ing to resign from the boxing
commission, but the status of
Schmeling so far as New York is
concerned, will remain unchanged.
The man who replaces Mr.. Farley
will, in some way peculiar to politi-
cal appointments. be Of like mind.
This means that New York is not going
10 see another fight for the HEAVYWEIGHT
Championship for a number Of years
when may be 100 soon 81 tnat.
going to Quit the commission to take over
the presidential campaign Of Roosevelt.
But the inside dope is that Mr.. Farley is
10 be the national campaign manager, and
IN the event OF success. he Is TO be some
This presents a strange political picture.
and an interesting social alliance-Roose-
velt. the Harvard, graduate and interna-
and former Haverstraw IN. " flrst base
man. And vet students OF politics VIII
tel you 1t makes q very sound combina-
There are lot of things Mr.. Farley
can't do that Roosevelt can. and un-
them there NAV exist a most engaging
appeal to. democracy, AZ any rate, here
Is possibility thai before many mont ms
right hand man Of the President. IL
sounds exciting anyway.
m n
WHAT might come Of such a
w coalition is hard to guess. Pos
sibly Jimmy Johnston is destined to
become the next secretary Of state.
And for all anybody knows, maybe
Gunboat Smith is already being
groomed to take over the depart
ment Of agriculture. 1t would be
difficult to deny the right Of Mr..
Smith to such eminence. I know of
no one who owns more abundant
crop Of caulif1owers.
Visiting Mr. Farley in his Office you are
instantly impressed by his, political
acumen. Hanging on the. wall side by
side are pictures of AL Smith and Roose-
welt, both active aspirants to the presi-
Dental nomination. On Mr.. Farley's desk
is @ bust of Smith, and obviously not
dedicated to the bust of the last cam
On an adjacent desk in miniature is q
billboard with electrical equipment pro-
claiming the desirability of Roosevelt for
the presidency. This has been devised in
the interest of preparedness If and
when the Roosevelt nomination material
ICES. Mr.. Fat.sv intends to be set. This
is typical of him In many ways he is
very set. Witness his attitude on Schmel-
ing.
At that. Mr.. Farley IS the best boxing
commissioner the state has ever had. To
begin with he is essentially honest and
frank. don't think any one can ever
say that he ever made dime out Of box
low him.
NY own conclusion is that he is in the
spot because it serves as a show front. l
mean it keeps him before the public. Prac-
ticalv anybody can get his name in the
headlines of the sport pages. In a sense
even, One-Eye Connolly is famous.