The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-03-20
Roosevelt I Tammany ''Put On The Spot''
 By Prohibitionists
Resolution Passed By New York As sembly Calls for Repeal of 18th Amendment He Must Sign or Veto the Bill
By PAUL R. MALLON Jnifed Prcss Stan COrrespondcnt) ]


 (United Press Staff COrrespondcnt)
 Washington, March 20.-(UP)- The leading early candidate for the democratic presidential nomination, Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York, has been put on the spOt' from a prohibition standpoint, observers here believe.
 On his desk at Albany is a resolu- ton passed by the New York legisla- ture Wednesday urging congress to repeal the eighteenth amendment. He must sign or veto it. His friends here say he will sign it.
 This necessity for prohibition ac- tion on his part comes before the shouts of southern democrats and western republicans for another Roosevelt in the White House. have fairly died away.
 The democrats opposed to the Smith -Raskob wing of the party in the recent national committee meet ing here leaned decidedly toward Roosevelt. Nearly all of them are Iprohibitionists of varying degrees of aridity. They knew Roosevelt came out for repeal in the gubernatorial campaign in New York last year, but t he was more to their taste than either former Governor Alfred E. Smith or his ally, Chairman John J. Raskob of the democratic national committee. They were particularly | influenced by the fact that he did | not stress the prohibition issue as did Smith and Raskob.
 Roosevelt's repeal views were sub- ordinated to the power issue when the republican independent group met here later. Outside of Wiscon- sin, nearly all the so-called progress sives of the republican party are stern and unequivocal prohibition ists.
 Some independents and democrats here who are sympathetic toward Roosevelt indicate their feelings will not be changed if he signs the resolution and asks congres to re- peal the amendment. They feel the step is untimely. and some even hint
 that Roosevelt's opponents within his own party in New York may have contributed to an effort to em- brass him.
 TAAMANY WATCHING New York, March 20.-UP)- Tammany Hall, with weather eye Ito the public reaction to the charges against Mayor James J. Walker. was reported to-day to be drawing up a reply to those charges in the hope lthat Governor Roosevelt would de- eide not to order an inquiry.
 Whether the reply would be sent to the governor at once or held un- l til his decision is announced was l uncertain. Tammany leaders have ordered a policy of strict silence and watchful waiting which has extended | to Mayor Walker in California. They were hoping. 1t was said, that the tremendous public demand for an in- vestigation would suffer a letdown when the first enthusiasm was over. and the whole affair might be passed over.
 The tenseness of the situation, however, precluded any lack of in- terest until the decision was an- nounced. Governor Roosevelt, as- suming a strictly judicial attitude toward the charges, went so far as to warn against any inquiry or even speculation as to what he would do, As a result, there were countless rumors and absolutely no intimation of his stand.
 l If the mayor should be forced out of office by an investigation. it was