Evening star., 1932-06-29
ROOSEvELT'S FOES
BLOCKED BY SMITH
Urban Leaders Realize They
Must Dispose of Him to
Beat Governor.
BY WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE.

CHICAGO, June 29 (NANA).-As
Chairman Walsh's gavel fell at the ad-
journment Of the second days session
of the Democratic National Convention
candidacy Of Alfred Emanuel Smith, a
small candidacy, with less than $50
votes, stands between some States IA
vorite son and possible nomination.
So long as Smith stays in the race,
even potentially, the Roosevelt bloc,
lacking a little more than 100 votes Of
the two thirds majority, will stand in
oissolubly; for RooSevelt'S vote, as 1t
developed after three ballots in yes
terday's convention. is obviously vote
of the rural Democracy.
The anti-Roosevelt vote came for the
most part from the great industrial
centerS. with their cities, and from
California, Texas and Oklahoma, rural
States having favorite sons. But the
favorite sons Of these rural States, as,
for instance, Bill Murray and Garner,
are handicapped by the fact that Smith
is the idol of the urban Democracy and
that the Roosevelt supporters fear that
IL the votes of the rural States break
away from Roosevelt in the end Smith
might nominate himself or one OF his
kind.
Rural States Dominate.
The rural States clearly piled up a
ma jority in the three ballots upon the
report Of the Committee ON Credentials
and upon the report Of the Committee
for Permanent Organization. 1t was
evident that this majority was not a
two-thirds majority, and, speaking with
certain exceptions. the three ballots OF
the first really fierce day OF the con-
vention showed a natural amalgamation
of the States lying between Virginia
and Massachusetts,, inclusive, and the
industrial States OF Ohio, Indiana and
Illinois. These States probably con-
tain a majority of the people of the
United States, but when 1t comes to
counting electoral votes the rural
States still dominate.
The South and the West, with the
exception of Texas and California
which are supporting Garner, and with
Missouri ostensibly behind. Reed and
Oklahoma more or less behind Bill
Murray, seem to have combined also
Into this rural bloc have gone YER
mont. New Hampshire, Maine, Della
ware and Pennsylvania, together with
Michigan and Wisconsin. Here We
AAoNC a 4OA hOA AL ~ WV W
posing the urban bloc.
To get his two-thirds majority
Roosevelt's managers must be able to
get Texas, Missouri, California and
Oklahoma from the urban bloc and
then trade with New York
1t Is evident that Missouri win not
stick to former Senator Reed and that
the city bosses in st. Louis and Kansas
City want to pick a winner. They
went down with Champ Clark in 1912
and with Reed in 1920. and must get on
the winning side to hold their prestige.
The trade with New York Is not i'm
possible.
g1 See Smith as Obstacle.
1t is becoming more and more evil
dent to the New York leaders that the
harder they cement their urban bloc
the more hopeless is their minority in
Democratic convention The New
York leaders could nominate Roose-
velt: they could not nominate Smith.
With RooSevelt'S cooperation New
York might name Ritchie or Baker,
but with Smith in the field the Roose-
Velt States are set.
That is the lesson Of the second
days session Of the convention. After
the adjournment the milling about the
hotels began. An attempt Is under way
to get Smith out of the road, the man.
ayers of Ritchie feeling that the Mary
land Governor would be the beneficiary
of Smiths retirement They look upon
Smith as an obstacle to a compromise.
Indeed, most of the shrewd man
ayers in the urban bloc realize that il
they are to win they must dispose of
Smith. Frank Hague, mayor of Jersey
yNOIffino1ly of C0ltth'S hind PlV
made a gesture suggesting the with
drawal OF both Smith and Roosevelt.
but the gesture came at the wrong
time. It angered the Roosevelt man
ayers, and probably was the inspiration
of the abortive attempt TO abolish the
two-thirdS rule.
That Roosevelt has suffered loss OF
prestige by abandoning his position on
the two-thirds rule no one can doubt.
He started something he couldn't fin
ish. 1t took the heart out OF his lieu
tenants. and their rout was complete.
That the Roosevelt forces were able to
hold what they held in permanently
organizing the convention indicates the
solidarity OF the South and the West
In its antagonism to the urban Democ-
racy.
The convention crowd outside of the
delegates is urbaniZed and wringing
wet. The same boos that greeted Gar
field chairman of the Platform Com
mittee in the Republican convention
hooted the Roosevelt speakers who were
pleading for the nomination of Senator
Walsh as permanent chairman.
Stage Set for Drama.
BY curious twist Of affairs and
because he has the opposition of the