Evening star., 1932-10-12
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

While Democrats freely acknowledge
the power and influence of Calvin Cool
idge as vote-maker for Herbert Hoo
yer, they don't intend to let the former
Presidents great appeal for his sue
cessor in New York last night go un-
scathed and unanswered. The prob
able line of attack will be to hold
Prosperity Cal' himself directly re-
| sponSible for the crash that enSued six
months after he left office. Just how
the indictment is going to be formulated
is not yet apparent, but its general line
will be that the Coolidge Mellon Hoover
combination was culpable in not fore
seeing events and taking either preven-
tive or defensive measures. Much is
likely to be heard, when the counter
attack on Coolidge begins, about the
low down" on his choice not to run
for President in 1928. At least one
Democratic authority in high place
would like Calvin compared to the
canny gentleman who knew a theater
was on fire, stood up and warned the
audience to be calm-that there was no
danger-and then tiptoped his way out
of the place, which presently caved in
and buried everybody that was left.
Mr. Coolidge's participation in the
Republican campaign is a feather in
the cap of National Chairman Sanders.
Many think Sanders owed his appoint
ment mainly to his closeness to "CaP'
and his anticipated ability, now demon
strated, to make the sphinx speak. If
the former Coolidge White House aide
could now unite the tongue OF Bill
Borah, and Hoover should be reelected,
the Indianian's reported ambition to be-
come Attorney General ought to come
~v,.&I H., h. n1vSo Nf hn q q
There1l be endless speculation from now
on as to whether the Coolidge speech
has saved the conservative East for the
G.. o. P. It Is a direct appeal to the
classes which still have something left
not to risk it by gambling on a change.
With a magazine article and public
address in favor of the Hoover admins
tration now to his credit, Mr.. Coolidge
has thrown his full weight into the
fight. The bulk of unbiased opinion is
that it is heavy weight.
4 X X X
Jouett Shouse. president Of the Asso-
ciation Against the Prohibition Amend
ment, takes exception to the view that
booze has disappeared or even become
minimiZed as a campaign issue. It still
is very much to the front, and, in his
opinion, is the paramount issue in many
sections OF the country, especially IN
congressional campaigns. In States like
California and Iowa. according to Mr..
Shouse's advices, United States senator
ships will be decided by the liquor queS-
tion. Most newspaper observers now
crossing the country find that It's the
side pocket rather than the hip pocket
of which the average voter is thinking
in 1882. But the vigorous Democratic
leader, who Is leading the repeal fight,
insists that underlying the whole ma
tional contest Is a deep, determined
popular revolt against the eighteenth
amendment. .,..-..--.
X \ X
No matter who's President after
March 4, 1888, one veteran Republican
starwart is assured of pleasant official
occupation next year. He is former
Postmaster General Harry s. New, who
has been appointed by President Hoo
yer to be the United States commits
sioner general to the Chicago Century
of Progress World Fair. Uncle Sam IS
making an extensive and representative
exhibit at the exposition. which, despite
depression, is rapidly taking shape and
will be opened approximately on time,
June /. Hard times have had prac-
tically no effect on it, because the
10000 900 fund provided for the fair
was practically fully In hand before q