The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-10-31
SATURDAY, OCTOBER sl, 1s'
Roosevelt Or Hurley?

One of the burning questions at wash ington just at present. is the subject ot the yice-presidency. And when Washington speaks of the vice presidency today it doesn [ think in terms of Charlie Curtis of Kan sas who happens to hold that office now, but of Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, gover- nor of Porto Rico or of Colonel Patrick J. Hurley of Oklahoma. secretary of war We should place both of these young gentlemen at the head of long list of aspirants for the position of President Hoovers running mate in the l932 elections. It may be that Colonel Roosevelt will be shipped West be- fore convention time and thus his candidacy arrested in full bloom.
 The resignation of Colonel Dwight F. Davis governor general of the Phlllppines may alter Colonel Roosevelt's career con siderably. He has made such success of his regime in Porto Rico that he may be sent to the more important Philippines post for further tutoring. That he needed some of this was seen quite clearly by republican leaders when he opposed exGovernor AL fred E. Smith for the governorship of New York few years back. He took the popu- lar "Ar quite lightly. He even went so far as to rdicule his chances of succeeding at the polls. The young man speedily found his composure jolted by good old fashioned Smith victory.
 He also tried to help out the go,p. in the 1928 national election. but his efforts weren't regarded any too kindly by his over lords. His appointment to Porto Rico was popularly received. However, he has sur- prised even his critics by his administration of affairs on the island. It may be that he has schooled himself to the point where he finds some good qualities in others, even lt they be his political opponents. Perhaps he won t even be sent to the Philippines though he was prominently mentioned for the post some time ago when it became pretty gen. erally known that Dwight Davis intended to resign as soon as it was convenient for the administration to accept the same.
 As for Colonel Hurley, we doubt if there is a more popular public official in Wash in2ton than the war secretary. He himself says he is for Charlie" Curtis in 1932 just as he was in 1928 and 1924. However. MT Curtis will be among the missing in l933. unless hc can isuade the Kansas electorate -s a,drn him n place of Senator George
 .1GiL democrat Mr Curtis longs for a sea.to,shjr which he deserted to become gi.s-president Somehow or other we have arrived at the conclusion that Washington society does not take kindly to Vice-Presl- dent Curtis. There was the Longworth- Gam incident at the beginning of the Hoover term. The way was never smooth after that.
 We often wondered if Vice President Cur tis's part Indian ancestry played part in this aloofness Certainly no more could be asked of any man than that he trace his fore b<ars to the original natives of this country. If Vice-President Curtis was never the social lion that Colonels Roosevelt or Hurley would he, we still think that the nation has not suffered as result. While the vice -pres- dknt does little more than preside over the Senate, he still must be chosen with the idea that at any moment he might be called up- on to assume the role of president. Streaks of brillianee please the eye, but are not as lasting as the solid colors.