Evening star., 1932-08-05
CAPAB|L|TYA AND IT
ITEMS IN CAMPAIGN
Roosevelt and Hoover Quail
fications Weighed as EIec-
tioneering Warns.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
Whichever may predomfnate in the
end. personalities and issues now seem
certain TO mix freely in the coming
presidential campaign as the qualif1ca-
tioriS of Franklin d. Roosevelt are
weighed against those OF Herbert
Hoover.
Although the electioneering has only
begun. the capabilities of both nomi-
nees already have been called into
question BY ranking opposition spokes-
men During the past week the Demo
cratic chairman. James A. Farley, IN
radio speech. directly accused Mr. Hoo
yer of incompetence and inefhcieny- A
sro1ip of Republican leaders. in a broad
side of statements. charged Mr. RooSe-
welt with deceit ignorance and urSound
thinking.
Attention on Men.
These are unusual words They serve
to center public attention to an eXcep-
tional degree on the candidates them
settles and on their public records.
such an end has been hoped for by
many political theorists, who beieye
that men. rather than measures, should
decide elections: end Stunned by others
who hold that public questions shouio
be settled by the people at the polls,
rather than left to elected officials.
n obviously is a part of the Demo-
cratic strategy to link the continuance
OF the depression with the Hoover ao-
m.ntstration, and summon the puoiic
to vote against Hoover NO less II -
apparent that Republicans are seeking
+o rfesent Gov. Roosevelt as weak. un-
Informed and unsafe. ana acK lor
verdict against Roosevelt.
Coming events may change the "h0ie
co,,rse III the discussion. During ine
neTt week Mr.. Hoover will deliver ms
srserh of acceptance, and soon aIteI-
Uar6 Mr. Roosevelt will begin oean1S
with various issues in greater oetsH;
IF constructive programs are presenGea
On either si6e the case may become
entirely different.
Debate on Prohibition.
Certainly a surge Of debate on the
a,,e issue of prohibition, without mucn
reference to personalities, will foiioW
what Mr.. Hoover says on that subject
when he formally accepts the nomIna-
tion here August II. Certainly, 700;
Mr. Roosevelt's decision in the case OF
Msvsr walker of New York will start
a ditpute which may or may not CEN
te- on the personal equation. -,
Awaiting these and other develop--
noents the two parties have spent
most of the week perfecting their cam
paign machinery End Watching with
suggestion of breathless expectancy Ine
rising tide Of security prices IN wan
street. and the reaction Of the country
to the bonus army eviction In wash
ington. -
How much the stock market boom
nav help the Republicans remains 10
be seen, for the election still IS three
months away. No Democrat would
yival of public confidence would react,
in greater or less degree, to the beneflt
of the administration in washington.
Thst simply is the history OF all de-
pFessions.
Bonus Incident Doubtful.
THE bonus incident likewise remains
an unknown quantity. Various moi
y4dual Democrats have condemned the
Presidents use OF troops. but neither
the Democratic nominee nor his organi-
zation has joined In. Gov. Roosevelt
close friends expect him to continue MS
silence. =
with the East more and more the
csuter of activity, the Republican cam
paign managers held war council IN
New York and delegated Senator Felix
Hebert of Rhode Island to have charge
OF headquarters there Mr.. Roosevelt
conferred with John J. Faskob, TO whom
the Democratic party owes a great deal
Of money about campaign financing.
Mr.. Raskob, leaving Albany, was willing
to say Just five words: II am out OF
politics"
And even the Roosevelt -Raskob meet
ing ended with an echo Of the personal
when Vincent Astor, also present, issued
statement saying 1t was stupid to
call Mr.. Roosevelt "sn irresponsible
radical"