Evening star., 1932-03-25

The anti-Roosevelt publicists are busy
these days explaining away Roosevelt
victories in the early convention pri-
mary contests. The defeat of Smith by
Roosevelt in New Hampshire 10 days
ago was without real significance. ac-
cording to the Roosevelt opposition,
because Roosevelt had too far a head
start and had the local Democratic big
wigs In New Hampshire with him be-
fore Smith entered the race. The de-
feat Of Alfalfa Bill Murray by Roosevelt
in North Dakota was the same sort of
empty triumph. The New York Gov
ernor had North Dakota "in the bag"
before Murray appeared on the scene.
They say the Roosevelt victory in
Georgia was virtually victory by de-
fault; that the Garner candidacy in
Georgia was wholly illusory. To date,
according to the opposition, there has
been no real popular test of strength.
The Massachusetts and the PennSyl-
vania primaries in late April are sug-
gested as the real battle-ground. The
outcome there may decide RooSevelt's
fate. Homer s. Cummings, Democratic
National committeeman from Connecti-
cut In Washington this week, and
others of the Roosevelt pre-convention
board OF strategy subscribe to no such
Roosevelt will have a majority of the
Pennsylvania convention delegation.
though 1t be nominally uninstructed
They privately concede that the Walsh
CoolidgeE pledged to Smith ticket in
Massachusetts is pretty sure to win but
expect that Roosevelt will pick I'D a
few district delegates in Boston, where
Mayor Curley holds the whip hand, and
that by convention time there will be
stampede to the Roosevelt band
wagon.
Another reminder that the whole
question of German reparations and
the allied war debts Is still unsettled
Is seen In the conjectures resulting
from the return visit paid to Ambassa-
dor Edge by Ambassador Sackett. It
Is assumed that the American Ambas-
Sador TO Germany did not go TO Paris
to talk with the American Ambassador
to France and other officials merely on
such subjects as the weather and in
ternational tennis The State Depart
ment insists that so far as the United
States is concerned nothing is in the
wind as respects debt revision. Secre-
tary of State Stimson Indignantly de-
MED reports that Ambassador Mellon,
when he reaches London, Is commits
stoned to negotiate on the debt queS-
ton. Mr.. Mellon, putting slowly on
his thin cigar, retains his lifetime habit
of silent reflection. He Is scheduled to
sail from New York for England next
Friday, April |. The Lausanne confer
ence on debts and reparations Is dated
for June. We shall see what we shall
see.
With Elihu Root retired from active
law practice and with Charles Evans
Hughes now Chief Justice, the palm for
prominence at the New York bar and
for legal fees in six figures goes to John
W. Davis, who braVely led the Demo-
cratic party TO defeat in 1924. as its
presidential standard bearer. The tall
and handsome and courtly hammered
counselor. his hair now white but his
cheeks still ruddy. has had little time
and little taste for the political arena.
His forte Is at the bar OF the Supreme
Court. Few cases Of great magnitude
now come before the court but that
Davis presents the argument on one side
or the other, This week he appeared
as counsel for the United States Senate
to argue its side Of the controversy over
the title Of Chairman George Otis Smith
OF the Federal Power Commission to his
post. Attorney General Mitchell ap-
peared in behalf OF the Executive
Brs nch o. the Government. 1t was an
onth: alling forensic battle.
~
A member OF the House engaged in
some gentle spoofing Of his colleagues
one day this week. His subject was
the salary cut proposals. He declared
that the Special Economy Committee
sss F:s9e srt sess ,'as s Fsy,S :. nm