Evening star., 1932-04-17
SMITH CHALLENGE
ST|RS DEMOCRATS
Byrd Prohibition Proposal
Another Outstanding Po-
litiCaI Feature.
b. the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
The presidential delegate choosing
rears the halfway mark with the DEM
ocratS in discord over Alfred E. Smith S
challenge to the candidacy of Franklin
n Roosevelt and the Republicans hop
ing the disharmony will continue.
The intimation if not the threat
contained in the Smith Jefferson day
address of such a battle over the Dem
ocratic presidential nomination and
platform as would vividly recall the
Madison Square Garden conflict OF
1924. easily stood out as the feature po-
ltical development of the past week.
Sharing interest was the proposal OF
former Gov Harry F. Byrd OF Virginia
of a compromise prohibition referendum
plank and the favorable wet and dry
reaction TO it. Also outstanding was
the threat of former Senator Joseph l.
France of Maryland, candidate for the
Republican presidential nomination. to
challenge at Chicago a block of dele
gates claimed for President Hoover and
Hoover's filing yesterday in the Mary
land primary, assuring a clean-Cut con-
test between the two on May ?.
Roosevelt Continues Gains.
Mingled with all these and other hap
peningS was Rooseyelts continued cor
railing of delegates. Michigan and Ne
braska together gave him 54 to boost
his total in pledged and claimed
strength to 255. This is two less than
one-third Of the ITO necessary to
nominate
Smith now says he referred TO no
body" when he told the jefferson day
banoueters that this is no time for
demagogues," but party leaders outside
the Smith and Roosevelt camps never
theless are considerably disturbed over
the Smith ready to fight" statement
Republicans. hoping the fight" will be
carried to the convention floor, could
not conceal their infinite glee over the
"break."
Political observers now await eagerly
Roosevelt'S speech in st. Paul Monday
and the Pennsylvania and MaSSaChu-
sets primaries to see whether the Smith
outbreak will receive attention from his
successor at Albany and how the voters
may react in the two pivotal State
primaries on April 26.
Evades Comment.
Except for his jocular inference that
Smith might have aimed at Gov. al
1alfa Bill' Murray in his anti-dema-
gogue speech, Gov Roosevelt has taken
no notice of it. The opportunity will
be presented at St Paul
While Roosevelt probably will not
elect to enter a controversy over the
demagogue charge on the ground to do
so would be recognition that he was
the sole target of Smiths blows, he
might choose to state his views on
Smiths reconstruction program, includ-
ing the tariff and debt moratorium
proposals. He already has termed
Smiths public works bond issue sugges-
tion "stop-gap," a term Smith re-
sented Wednesday night.
This week will offer breathing spell
tn delegate picking. Tor the first week
since early March not "a single Demo-
cratic primary or convention is Sched-
uled. And only one Republican con-
vention-that in Colorado-Wiu name
is delegates.
The following week, however, brings
the big Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania
primaries where Smith and Roosevelt
have states in the field Sufficient time
will have elapsed by then for the parti-
sans Of each to have felt the full effects
of the controversy. These two primaries
may be decisive as far as the Demo-
cratic nomination is concerned.
Contention of France.
Former Senator France contends
President Hoover has mo moral or
Nebraska and North Dakota because
he did not file in any OF these States
for the preference vote. Since he alone
was on the ballots for this vote, France
says the delegates are morally If not
legally bound to his candldacy.
OF the AIS Republican delegates
chosen to date, President Hoover has
las pledged definitely to his renomina-
ton and his managers claim 248 more
for a total Of 1893, with only 578 needed
to win. Angry over THESE claims,
France indicated he would challenge
many of them before the Convention
Credentials Committee.
Just how far France will figure at the
convention will be given a real test in
the Maryland primary. A native son,
he now faces a definite contest with
the Hoover forces for the preference
vote and a majority OF the delegates
to a State convention which names
later 19 delegates to the national
convention.