Evening star., 1932-12-20
Tie Troubles of Mr.. Curry.

reign of Jimmie" Walker. the little
mayor" as Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt
used to refer to him in moments Of re-
taxation, are to be swept from New
York City. Not by the Republicans, or
even by Al Smith, or the acting mayor
Joseph A. Mckee, but by John F. Curry,
the Tammany boss. Chief Curry, who
wishes to remain chief Of the five Dem
ocratic tribes OF the greater city, sees
an opportunity to build up and strength
en- himself through patronage which
the former mayor, the wise-cracking
Jimmie, seems to have used for his own
purposes while h was in Office, and, by
the way, in gel Tammany standing.
The Curry edict is now ''of with the
political or official heads of the Walker
outfit"
The real menace to Mr. Curry as
Tammany leader comes at present from
Alfred E. Smith. Mr.. Smith never did
cotton much to the Tammany boss.
He denied Curry an office when he, Mr..
Smith, was Governor of New York
ing of Curry toward Smith. After the
former Governor had been disastrously
defeated for the presidency in 1928 the
time seemed ripe for Mr.. Curry and
other Tammany district leaders, who
also did not like Mr.. Smiths ideas
about a new and better Tamn1any, to
ignore the man who had dominated
Democratic politics in the Empire State
for so many years. Mayor Jimmie
Walker cast in his lot with the district
leaders, and after an historic row, in
which the late Marty McCue and Mr..
Curry and one or two other district
leaders fought it out in Tammany Hall,
the leadership of the democratic Or
ganization Of New York County, the
borough Of Manhattan, went to Curry,
with Walker reigning as prince regent
for Tammany. Tanmany triumphantly
reelected the mayor in 1929, and the
goose was hanging high.
The clouds darkened for the Tam
many pet, Walker. more than year
ago, Ever since then Mr.. Curry has
twisted and turned to get out Of bad
situation without being thrown out.
Unfortunately, Roosevelt was strong In
the Bronx, where Flynn, the leader, Is
a particular friend Of the President
elect. Until the Democratic National
Convention and afterward Mr.. Curry
continued to dominate the situation.
At the convention Mr.. Curry and
Mayor Walker went down the line for
AL Smith. Not because they loved him,
but because their followers did and
because Smith seemed the best bet with
which to halt the onward rush of Gov.
Roosevelt toward the presidential nomi-
nation. Roosevelt won, which was
blow to Curry and Walker. Then things
got Just little too hot for the mayor
and he quit under fire. He was out. A
reconciliation between Gov Roosevelt
and Mr.. Smith followed and the nomi-
nation OF Lehman for Governor. an
other Roosevelt man. At the same
time, Acting Mayor Mckee was show
ing up the Walker regime in light
that was terrifying to the Tammany
leaders.
Now Mr.. Curry sees the lines drawing
closer ard closer. There is to be Roose-
Welt in the White House. with the Fed
eral patronage at his hand. There Is
Mr.. Smith in New York, with his
recommendations for reform Of the
city government and the wiping out of
borough lines and, further, his menace
as possible candidate for mayor. 1t
is up to Mr.. Curry, who has no par
ticular personal appeal to the rank and
file Of the organization such as has the
former Governor of New York, to stir
his stumps