The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-02-09
SMITHS STAND !
SEEN HINDRANCE
To ROOSEVELT
Garner and Baker Likely to
Gain at the Expense of
New York Governor.
BY LEO R. SACK
Times STAFF Correspondent


WASHINGTON, Feb. 9.-Former
Governor Al Smiths announcement
that he will accept the presidential
nomination if it is given to him,
aroused conflicting reactions among
Democratic leaders here today. Al
though Smith asserted he will not
in advance of the convention either
support or oppose the candidacy Of
any aSpirant for the nomination,
the chief result of his announce
ment will be the slowing up of the
pre-convention campaign of Cover
nor Roosevelt of New York, which
apparently has been gathering land
slide proportions in the south and
the west.
The feud between Smith and the
man he made Governor is such that
politicians here were diSinclined to
place too much faith in this decla-
ration. The impression is that his
announcement is a major develop
ment in the stop Roosevelt" cam
paign which Smiths close friends
are credited with engineering.
Garner Boom Grows
Speaker Garner of the house, and
Newton D. Baker, it is agreed, will
be among the chief beneficiaries. if
Roosevelt's drive is halted. Gar-
ner'S campaign, launched originally
by Texas friends, has been gather
ing momentum the last few weeks
and it is regarded today as one of
the threats to RooSevelt'S success.
Neither Baker nor Garner is
seeking directly to block Roosevelt.
but many of their friends are not
so circumspect.
The development of Garner sem
timent apparently is overshadowing
the movement for Governor Richie
of Maryland, an avowed candidate.
The strong nationalistic feeling,
prevalent at this time, is said to be
hating the spread of Baker sem
timent.
More Caution Expected
Smiths declaration will have the
effect, it is believed, of causing
RooSevelt's friends to proceed with
more caution. 1t has been claimed
that Roosevelt will have 678 votes
on the first ballot, or within 80 of
the required two-thirds, but this
claim is subject to discount.
Democrats are agreed. however,
that unless the Smith statement
precipitateS a strong drift from
Roosevelt, he will have approxi-
mately half of the 1854 votes on
the first ballot. If he develops this
initial strength, they add, he will be
hard to beat.
Responsible Democratic leaders
predict that whatever may happen
70 Roosevelts candidacy, there will.
be no repetition at Chicago of the
Madison Square garden bitterness.
Smith Holds Influence
Party leaders, visualizing victory
next November, are determined to
choose their nominee in a spirit of
harmony. Smiths statement fore
casts this, so do the attitudes OF
Garner and Baker. ''.''
Smith is certain to exercise "a
great influence at the convention
because of his personal popularity
and the fact that he polled 15,00O,-
600 votes in 1923. But despite this,
the belief here is that he will not
be nominated. '.,."
Senators who supported him
against Hoover-Gore of Oklahoma,
Wheeler of Montana, Sheppard and
Connally of Texas, Black of Ala.
bama and Mcclellan of Tennessee
say Smiths nomination this year
would be a great mistake, and
would rekindle the religious con-
troYersies of 1923