Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-06
BY GEORGE VAN sLYKE.


day and the approach Of the September
primaries in the States mark the sea-
sonal revival IN politics after long
holiday. Inventory of what has hap
pened between July 4 and Labor day
reveals that in the whole field Of ma
tional politics there has been almost no
activity, with one single and striking
exception.
During that entire period the one sig
niflcant political trend that can be
traced in retrospect is that Gov. Frank
I'm D. Roosevelt of New York has made
steady progress toward the Democratic
nomination for President. He has been
driving hard while others were at play.
No rival candidate has developed and
no move has been made to stop him.
His boom. carefully nurtured. has been
growing week by week until the &C
crlled political capital amounts to
considerable sum. The time has about
arrived when those opposed to him
must put on speed and rush to catch
him or let him go into the last lap OF
the race unchallenged.
4 y =
A strange feature OF this political
situation is that the leaders OF the Re-
publican party appear to be more con-
cerned over the progress Of the Roose-
welt candidacy at this time than are
the Democrats, who are credited with
being unfriendly to the New York Gov
ernor. 1t Is seen as within the political
possibilities that the Republican Con-
vention next June will be more largely
influenced by Mr.. Roosevelt than any
other person, excepting President Hoo
YER The reasons are quite sound.
In all party councils 1t Is taken for
granted that Mr.. Hoover Is to have q
denomination. Calvin Coolidge Is cred
tied with having seized up the situation
for his party in this characteristic
statement: If his administration Is
success. Hoover will be entitled to the
denomination; and If not, nobody else
will want It."
There has been much undercover
talk of a draft Coolidge" movement
as a necessary expediency to save the
party. Every such suggestion has met
with prompt dismissal and rebuff In
Northampton. The Republican leaders
do not charge Mr.. Hoover with the la
bilities their party has assumed in the
last three years and are proceeding on
the theory and conviction that he must
be renamed. Mr.. Hoover is credited
with wanting another term that he may
rid himself and his administration of
the criticism due to the bad breaks he
ran into. The Hoover forces are In
complete control Of the party mac1in-
cry and Hoover delegates will dominate
the next convention.
The only conceivable upset on the
Republican side Is the remote possibility
Of a stampeded convention at the last
moment. The leaders of the Repub-
lican party are practical men who are
veterans In politics. They must carry
their own States to maintain their own
control and, in many instances, to hold
their jobs and the jobs needed for their
organizations. Those who profess to
see the dim prospect OF Republican
reversal base their argument on the be-
lief that the practical men may rise in
their might and take the nomination
into their own hands II convinced they
were facing sure defeat. It Is q big
doubt whether the Hoover grip could
be broken even by stampede.
The Democratic conduct will weigh
heavily in the Republican council. If
the Democrats 60 into their convention
a reunited party, with the South in line
and the banners all flying in one parade
for its candidates. and at the same
time economic conditions remain I'M
changed, 1t will be gloomy day for
the Republicans.
But should the Democrats fall to
fighting; If Roosevelt fails to hold his
lead and the party Is plunged again
into the factional and sectional feud
which brought disaster in 1924 and
1928; If the Smith Raskob element goes
into q huddle with the favorite sons
of other States to head of the New
York Governor and control the nomi-
~ fha
two last campaigns are stirred to
weaken the Democracy-then the Re
publicans may well give three cheers,
stage q big demonstration for Hoover
and 60 unafraid into the campaign.
* y
The Republicans appear to have the
bad end of the political bargain at this
time. However, they are not entirely
disheartened. They still cling to the
1882 election and, If not, they figure 1t
is as good as an even chance that the
Democrats will tumble the ball some
way and lose whatever advantage they
have gained in the last three years.
It Is for those many reasons that the
Republicans are watching the Roose-
welt boom with almost as keen interest
as are the Democrats. With the Re
prlblicans, it Is not SO much the ques-
ton of Roosevelt as 1t is that of a
united party. If any Democrat can
pull his party into first-ballot nomina-
ton, the hope of split goes glimmer-
ing.
The progress of the Roosevelt boom is
most disconcerting to Washington. The
report Is permitted to filter out from
the Republican headquarters that the
belief there entertained is that Roose-
welt will not be nominated. Hoover and