The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-06-22
BEER AT ONCE URGED ON
DEMOCRATS BY AL SMITH AS
QUICKEST WAY TO AID JODLESS
Unconditional Repeal of Dry
Amendment Also Is
Demanded.
ARRIVES IN CHICAGO
He Has No Second Choice
for President, and He'll
Fight for ShouSe.
BY RAYMOND CLAPPER
United Press STAFF Correspondent

CHICAGO, June 22-Beer at
once was urged upon the Demo
cratic party today by former Gov
ernor Alfred E. Smith Of New York.
He proposed that the party de-
clare for unconditional repeal of the
eighteenth amendment, meantime
pressing congress to raise the alco-
holic content Of legal beverages as
the quickest way materially to in
crease revenues and to aid unem-
ployment.
Smith arrived from New York to-
day, fought his way through cheer
ing throngs at the station and then
entered a staccato cross-questioning
by the press, in which he made
known his position on prohibition.
He punctuated his answers with
the declarations that:
He is not in a stop Roosevelt
movement. but is for Alfred F.
Smith" for the Democratic nom
ination.
The Roosevelt forces are en-
gagged in a stop Smith" move
ment-a charge the Roosevelt
manager, James A. Farley, sub.
sequently denied.
It is not necessary TO discuss
now whether he will support the
convention nominee should some
one else win.
Smith, crisp and smiling, issued
O statement favoring amendment of
VTAIe ~ hty criHFiflo
correct definition" o. permitted al
coholic content that will permit
the sale of beverages of reasonable
alcoholic content"
Scouts Roosevelt Claims
His program, he said, would give
people relief which would divert
the profits of the bootlegger irto
legitimate taxes"
Conceivably his program might
permit light wine as we'll as beer.
Asked his preference for the nom
nation, Smith retorted:
Alfred E. Smith"
And regarding the claim of Roose-
welt workers of victory on the first
ballot, Smith said:
That's just a little ballyhoo."
Smith declared he would go be-
fore the convention, if necessary, to
battle for the election as perms-
nent chairman of Jouett Shouse,
who is opposed by the Roosevelt
group.
He also stated he had no second
choice for the presidential nomina-
ton.
He Has No Second Choice
II haven't got any second choice
I'm for myself alone" he said.
Mayor Frank Hague of Jersey
City was designated by Smith as
his convention floor leader.
With Smiths arrival, the stop
Roosevelt" high command was here
ready for business, and awaiting the
arrival of potential re-enforce-
ment, former Treasury Secretary
William Gibbs McAdoo.
Meantime, there was much specu-
lation as to the course Tammany
would take toward the nomination,
and rumors that it would steer
Mayor James Walker to the resolu-
lions committee. This would be in
terpreted generally as defying
Roosevelt.
John F. Curry, Tammany leader,
was expected here late today when
\ might clarity whether Tammany
goes with Roosevelt.
"The eighteenth amendment never
should have been put into the Con-
stituticn," Smith said in typewrit-
ten statement to the press. 1T is
unavoidable. / attacked it from the
time it was first proposed ano
prophesied its failure, and that il
WOULD prove the worst curse ever
put on an unsuspecting people.
Modification Is Urged
Il fought it when it was unpop.
tlar to take that side of the issue
in many parts of my own state anc
in many other states of the Union
and when every weapon of narrow.
minded intolerance was turned
against me.
Il carried the banner when The
army was small. the strikers numer.
Gus and the opposition bitter. wa.
then, and am now, for the uncon.
ditional repeal of the eighteenth
amendment.
THE Volstead act should at ono,
be amended by a scientifically cor.
rect definition that will permit sal,
of beverages of reasonable alcohol,
content. The people of the United
States are entitled to this relief
which would divert the profits of tn,
bootlegger into legitimate taxes"
Farley Still Confident
Smiths statements we're repeated
lated to James A. Farley Roose
welt manager, in his regular pres
conference.
Roosevelt will be nominated OF
the first ballot" Farley said conf.
IDENTIFY, and that shows what
think of Smiths chances"
Are you still counting on 90
votes from New York;" Farley was
asked.
Il never said that said if We
had 90 form New York we would
have 745 votes on the first ballot
(770 votes are needed to nominate)
Farley said he had heard Mayor
Walker would be New York'S rep
resentative on the platform com
mittee.
=, Il would object to Walker being
on he added.
Questioned about Indianas dele
cation, Farley said he believed they
would be substantially for Roose-
welt"