Evening star., 1932-08-04
The Political Mill
BY C.. Could Lincoln.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass, August A.
Despite the fact that Gov. Joseph B.
Ely of Massachusetts, after waiting a
month, has announced that he will
support Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt of
New York, this State of Massachusetts,
today is no easy battle-ground for the
Democrats this year. Gov. Ely has
announced that he will be a candidate
for reelection. This was much desired
by the Roosevelt supporters, on the
theory that it would aid the national
ticket in this State and indicate that
Ely was really wholeheartedly support
ing the Roosevelt ticket. Gov. Ely, in
his statement issued Monday, said a
kind word for Roosevelt and two kind
words for Al Smith, the idol of the
Massachusetts, Democracy. He may
have had his own political future in
mind when he phrased the statement.
If AL Smith were the Democratic presi-
Dental nominee this year, there would
be no slightest doubt that the Bay
State would go Democratic. But put
ting Gov. Roosevelt across here will be
very different matter.
X
The difficulty lies in the soreness
growing out Of the primary fight, when
the Democrats divided-very one
sent a solid Smith delegation to the
Democratic National Convention. 1t lies
also in the fact that Smith was turned
down at the national convention, in
part, by the old Smith foe, William
Gibbs McAdoo. The Democratic leaders
here, realizing that after all national
Democratic victory may be won this
year with a united party supporting
Roosevelt, have gone over to the New
York Governor, Ely being the last to go.
But the rank and file of the Smith
Democrats is another matter. Many OF
these Democrats say they would rathec
vote for Hoover, though they do not
care particularly for the President, or
not vote at all.
Published in the Massachusetts news
papers with large headlines is a quota
ton from former Senator Thomas j,
Heflin of Alabama, saying that he IN
tended to stump the country for Roose-
velt this year and predicting that Roose-
velt will sweep the South. This is not
Just the kind of publicity that will aid
the Democrats in their fight to carry
the Bay State. The Democrats here
have no lave for Tom Hefiin. Further
more, they remember that Mr.. Hefiin
did not support Smith in 1928 and that
the South did not go solidly for THEN
beloved leader.
The New Bedford Times, an anti
administration and Democratic news
paper, commenting editorially on the
Ely statement of support for Roosevelt,
called Gov. Ely's statement faint
praise" Under this heading, it said
Gov. Ely showed careful choice of
words, Sunday, in his guarded approval
of Gov. Roosevelt as Democratic can
didate, contrasted with repetition of
his former uncompromising stand for
Alfred E. Smith.
"a man of expressed convictions and
positive action is the way Mr.. Ely
describes Mr.. Smith.
"'Gov. Roosevelt has convinced me
that the platform Of the Democratic
party adopted at Chicago will be car
getic action The faint praise with
which he swings to Mr.. Roosevelt.
There are apt to be wide differences
in actual value between the man of
positive action and the man who merely
carries out party platforms, however
ernestly or energetically.
"A man of the character Of Alfred
Emanuel Smith would be far better for
the United States at the head of its
effairs without any party whatsoever
than a man of the character of either
Herbert Hoover or Franklin Roosevelt,
even though such a President had with
him the combined support of both ma
jor parties"
This editorial continues to express
the feelings of many of the Smith
Democrats. When it is remembered
that Massachusetts, has been Republi-
can in presidential elections, except for
Al Smiths victory in 1928 and for Will
sons victory in 1912, when the Repub-
licans were divided between Roosevelt
and Taft, the task the Democrats have
on their hands to put over" Gov.
Roosevelt in Massachusetts next No
vember is considerable. Hard times and
the liquor question are the issues on
which the Democrats are relying.
Roosevelt's radio speech Saturday night
stressed the fact that he would under
take to see that Congress acted to re-
peal the eighteenth amendment. This
probably was what Gov. Ely had in
mind when he said he was convinced
that Roosevelt would act to carry out
the national Democratic platform. OF
course, Gov. Roosevelt if he were Presi-
dent could only recommend to Congress
that steps be taken to submit repeal
amendment to the States for action.
And such action could be obtained only
with Republican support in Congress,
for no one really belives that the Demo-
Gratis will have two-thirds Of the mem
har hi ~ hn Nd
in the next Congress. 1t requires a
tWo-thirds vote of both Houses of Con-
greSs to submit an amendment to the
Constitution.
Senator William E. Borah of Idaho,
If press reports are true, is angling for
support Of his recent proposal for an
international conference on economic
problems, which would cover debts,
reparations and ornaments. He is
quoted as say. lg that he will support
the presiden' al candidate who comes
out for his plan. Gov. Roosevelt in his
radio spc-5h declared that he would
summon an international conference
for - stabilization of currency. He
haG more to say about the war debts,
FL agreed with Senator Borah that
NE recent Lausanne Conference had
paved the way for some kind of action
looking to better relations in Europe
and throughout the world.
On the other hand, from administra-
tion sources have come intimationS that
Borah'S plan for an economic confer
eLce might be adopted. Senator Wat
son, the Republican leader of the Sen
ate, before he left Washington to go to
Indiana came out fiat-footedly for an
agreement for disarmament in Europe,
which, with the reduction of the Ger
man reparations, is Borah's price for a
reduction or cancellation of the debts
owed this country by Europe. 1t had
indicated, too, in other administration
quarters that the Borah proposal was
being studied carefully. Therefore
should the administration swing to the
Borah plan, the way would be paved for
the Idaho Senator once more to leap
into the national campaign, fighting for
the Republican ticket The admins
tration may wonder, however, whether
such a plan would sit well with the
voters Tho cancellation of the dehtS