Evening star., 1932-08-22
ROOSEVELT ST|RS
CONFLICTING VIEWS
G. 0. P. Claim Error Made.
but Democrats Hail
Hoover Attack.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE,

NEW YORK, August 22.-Conf1icting
impressions prevail about the Roosevelt
speech at Columbus The Republicans,
of course, think the Democratic nominee
made a tactical error in making a
personal attack on his opponent and
that he over-reached himself in holding
the President accountable for stock
market speculation in 1929
The Democrats, on the other hand
feel their candidate made an aggressive
speech, full of fight and that they can
look forward to sharp punches and a
live campaign.
Disinterested opinion is that the New
York Governor made the most of the
Vulnerable points in the Hoover record
and made general bombardment,
which fits in with the negative mood of
the electorate. but that when 1t came
to suggesting remedies as to what he
would Go about 1t he was rather nebu-
lous and vague. Maybe he will amplify
and p5rticularize as the campaign goes
on. Many people are indeed fed up
with the attack on the wild spectators
OF 1929 and the origin, causes and in
ferences Of the depression. and prob
ably will cast their ballot for the can
didate who shows some signs of an in
NCAheCAIe PAO5I dlil W SSb 1HlEINi OuL Vi
the depression and back to prosperity.
May Satisfy Voters.
But the rank and file, according to
the political strategists, have never
asked for more than a vague general
promise from the party out of power
when their vengeance was about to be
visited on party in power. To what
extent this will hold true is hard to
say this early. But it is evident that
the Roosevelt speech is aimed at that
characteristic of the voter Whether
or not the Republicans would like to
forget 1929 and 1880 and the promises
OF prosperity made in 1928, Mr.. Roose-
velt thinks it's good stuff to keep ham,
mering away at 1t.
Speeches are after all only a refiec-
tion Of passing moods of the candidates
and are designed to cover a weakness or
! develop a point of strength. Mr. Hoo
ver's speech of acceptance was an ef-
! fort to show that he would be a vigor-
Gus President II given another chance
and that his present economic program
was succeeding. Mr. RooSevelt's speech
| at Columbus was made to keep people
| reminded OF Hoover promises lest the
| speech of acceptance might have lulled
them into sense of forgetfulness.
The most ominous thing from the
Roosevelt standpoint has come from an
entirely different direction. 1t is the
number of polls taken in New England
States which show strong Hoover plu-
ralities. This means that in States like
| Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, which
went Democratic in 1928, the Smith fol-
lowers are still angry over the alleged
| plot by which the Roosevelt managers
/ tarA ant tAd A ff1a tffNt1
through cooperation with Southern
States that fought Smith in 1928.
Smith Following Feared.
| II this is an indication of the drift
! of the Smith vote, 1t will be disastrous
| for Roosevelt. Undoubtedly it will re-
| new pressure from Democratic leaders
to persuade Al Smith to come out and
! help Roosevelt. But if he waits too
! long, the Smith following will think
| he was forced to do 1t for party rea-
sons and they will not be influenced
too strongly to give up their prejudices
| In other words. to get that Smith fol-
| lowing in line is a task for August and
| September and not to be lsft to Octoeer
On the whcle, the campaign has de-
veloped no sharp antithesis as yet
though Roosevelt's promise to bring
about Federal regulation OF security and
commodity exchanges has not relped
him to overcome the impression his
managers have been assiduously spread
| ing that he was conservative at heart
even though occasionally radical ir
speech. Before the eLd of the campaign
the radical-conservstive lineup is bound
, to be more pronounced, especially if the
Columbus theme is amplified.
(Copyright. 1922