Evening star., 1932-10-02
BY WILLIAM HARD.

BY WILLIAM HAhU.
NEW YORK, October 1.-The big
political event here at this moment Is
the return Of Gov Roosevelt from his
Western tour. He undertook it entirely
contrary to the advice of most Of his
closest political intimates. They now
profess themselves glad that he had
the vigor to disregard their admonitions
and to follow his own instincts. They
believe the trip has insured him the
election He returns nevertheless, to
find two large problems awaiting him
in the East.
The first Is the problem Of "Al"
Smith and the discomfort OF Smiths
followers in this region with the out
come Of the Chicago Democratic Con-
vention of this year The second Is the
problem Of reconciling the Governors S
new support Of Western so-called rad
icals" with his Eastern backing OF So
called conservatives.
Rosevelt's immediate managers be-
iieve that q certain part of the "A'
Smith problem has been solved. They
see this partial solution in Smiths
article In the current number OF the
outlook. in which he exhorts the coun-
try to victory for the Democratic party
this Fall. They expect some similar
exhortation from him at the Democratic
New York State Convention Monday at
Albany. They are confident that great
gain has thus been produced for their
party. They nevertheless fear that more
specific mention of Roosevelt and a
more personal Endorsement may be
necessary In order to eliminate the cur
rent resentment Of the jealous among
the Smith followers
A doubt still exists as to how far
Smiths declaration will change the
feelings Of his Eastern personal fol-
lowers. Some of them have remarked
to this writer that it will not influence
them at all. They contend that Smith
Will have spoken only in order to do his
party duty as Democratic leader and
that the Crime" committed by the
Chicago Democratic Convention against
All will still have to be avenged by a
switch on their part to Hoover Such a
switch would probably guarantee to
Hoover the electoral votes OF all the
North Atlantic .seaboard States.
For this reason much effort is being
put forth here by those of Smiths CO.
religionists who voted for Gov Roose-
velt for the nomination for President
at Chicago to explain their conduct
There were some 200 of them. who, as
delegates in the Chicago Convention,
were supporters of the Governor from
the start. They maintain that the
spectacular conflict between Smith and
Roosevelt grew out of purely personal
relationships and that its outcome at
Chicago had nothing whatsoever to do
with any "bigotry.' They thus oppose
themselves directly to the distinguished
and influential New York Protestant
clergyman, John Haynes Holmes. who
in a widely circulated pamphlet has
conveyed to a great multitude of East
erners the contention that Smith was
discarded at Chicago because Of religion.
The claims Of Smiths fellow Catholics
who became delegates for him In the
Chicago Convention are substantially
as follows:
l. The Roosevelt campaign for dele
gates began more than year before
any such campaign for Smith was initi-
ated. There was, therefore. at that time
no choice" presented between Smith
and Roosevelt The pledges then given
to Roosevelt had accordingly no anti
Smith animus
2. Smith had stated to several Of his
special 1928 eminent supporters that
he had come to the conclusion that
nobody Of his religion could during this
era be President. It was, therefore,
widely assumed that Smith was not .
candidate.
3. The precise reason why so many
early pledges were secured for Roose.
welt was that Roosevelt was thought
80 kn fayfr IA iHti NJ
Roosevelt had nominated Smith for the
presidency. Smith had backed Roose-
welt for the governorship Of New York.
The pledges to Roosevelt were presumed
to be actually pleasing to Smith.
4. The break between Smith and
Roosevelt, growing out Of dissatisfac-
ton by Smith with some OF Roose-
velt's actions as Governor, was wholly
outside the sphere OF religion and was
wholly unknown to the Westerners who
were committing themselves to Roose-
velt.
Such are the arguments by Roose-
velt's Catholic supporters, who are ex-
tremely numerous, in their effort to
persuade their co-religionists in this
part of the country that the original
momentum which led finally to Roose-
velt's nomination at Chicago was
neither anti-Catholic nor anti-Smith.
This writer's sincere guess is that
these arguments will be partly success
full and partly unavailing. Many OF
Smiths friends In these parts ore hlled
with . bitterness which is almost ura-
durable.
Roosevelt's second problem upon his
return here-the problem Of combining
Western progressive support with East
ern conservative support-hAs given the
Republican Eastern managers certain
possible opportunity. Of which they are
striving to take full advantage. They
note that Roosevelt during his West
ern tour contrived to become publicly
intimate with such characters as Homer
T. Bone of Washington, Hiram john
son and william Gibbs McAdoo and
william Randolph Hearst Of California,
Bronson Cutting Of New Mexico and
George Norris Of Nebraska, al Of whom
are rernrded In Eastern conservative