Evening star., 1932-07-04
THIRD PARTY MOVE
APPEARS UNLIKELY
Positive Prediction Impos-
SibIe Till Organized Drys
Fix Plans.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
CHICAGO, July 4-As the shouting
dies, it becomes increasingly clear that
the two national political conventions
in Chicago have forecast a campaign
cutting severely across party lines, en-
comprising every section of the coun-
try as its battle-ground, and concerning
itself deeply with prohibition and the
depression.
The attempt of the Democrats to
appeal to that segment of popular
opinion known variously as liberal
and progressive" is an impressive ele-
msnt of the situation. So is the at
tempt Of the Republicans to avoid every
non-orthcdox tenet. and base their
appeal on a steadfast adherence to
what they call sound" and firmly
established" principles Of government.
Third Party Unlikely.
The likelihood seems to be now
against any major movement for third
party. If one does emerge the prohibi-
tion question Is its most likely vehicle.
Even the dissatisfaction of the prohibi-
tionists over the party planks has not
yet pointed to tangible third-party ac-
ton, although no positive prediction can
be made until the organized drys have
concluded their pondering and Senator
Borab has decided what he will do.
Mr.. Rooseelt says economic recovery
is the outstanding issue. Mr. Hover
again and again has said the one thing
that matters is to get the country back
on an even economic keel Mr.. Roose-
velt wants to try certain departures
which Mr. Hoover does not approve,
and the detailed Roosevelt program,
when 1t is produced, doubtless will be-
come most important subject Of inter
party debate.
Both of the nominees appear inclined
to let prohibition take a secondary
place, but 1t is a question how far the
voters win agree with them No one
who sat through the drenching down.
pours of argument on that subject,
deluging both conventions, can doubt
that prohibition is very much upper
most IN the minds Of the rank and file
1t is not at all impossible, Judging
from the manifest concern of the great
mass of the Republican and Democratic
delegates, that party lieutenants may
take the ball away from both Mr.
Hoover and Mr.. Roosevelt and indulge,
on their own account, in a wet-dry con-
trcversy that will all but eclipse every
thing else.
The East a battle-ground.
The Democratic nominees appeal to
dissatisfied Republicans was more direct
in his acceptance speech than any SINH
lar statement from the Republicans, but
the Republican call to certain old line
Democrats has been just as real. In the
East, particularly, the Republican man
ayers are hoping-with what justifica-
tion no one can say-for much help
from those Democratic interests to whom
Mr.. Roosevelt has been presented as a
radical"
The East, certainly, will be a battle
ground for that reason. For a similar
reason. so will the West. The Roose-
welt strength in the convention was pre-
ponderantly Western and Southern
Already the nominee is emphasizing
the farm problem. and has SHE'D a
stray stone at Wall Street" Senator
Norris, the Nebraska Republican insur-
gent, will support him. A very impor-
! tant part Of Democratic strategy now
is to strike hard at the normally Re-
publican West and Midwest.
Republican hopes in the traditionally
Democratic South are not as high as
they were in 1923, but Southern reac-
tion to the Democratic repeal plank will
be canvasSed most carefully by the Re-
publican strategists. They are much
interested in the statements of Southern
Democrats, before the convention itself
that this plank will greatly weaken
the Southern democracy.
~,
OF the conventions mentions Al Smith
His strength was in exactly those
Eastern metropolitan sections where the
Republicans hope for a rebellion from
the economic policies of Mr.. Roosevelt
The guess Of most Of the Smith men
is, however, that he will go no further
than he already has gone by turning
his back on the convention and ignoring
| the nominee. Silence, and more silence
| is the general forecast for the no.
! longer-srniling warrior of New York's