Evening star., 1934-06-03
MARYLAND FACES.
| POLITICAL M|X-UP
Party fractional Fights In.
rivaIed in Generation of
Many Battles.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
BALTIMORE, June Mot in a
generation has the political situation
in Maryland been as complex as it is
today.
This applies equally to the Demo-
only includes the governership, the
Statewide offices, but extends down
the line to members of the Legisla-
ture, and even court clerks.
The situation in the Democratic
party. where Gov. Albert c. Ritchie
and Mayor Howard w. Jackson Of
Baltimore are the leading candidates
for the gubernatorial nomination, was
further complicated this week by the
announcement from authoritative
sources that George L. Radcliffe is
willing to enter primary contest.
Disinclined to Make Fight.
While in a receptive mood Radcliffe
heretofore has let 1t be known that
he may possibly accept the nomina-
tion, but would not make fight for it
in primary.
The request that he announce him
self as compromise candidate was
made by group of political leaders
from seven of the nine Eastern Shore
counties, and among the reasons stated
in the petition asking him to become
candidate was one saying that he
could be of great assistance to PreSi-
dent Roosevelt If he would consent to
run.
Radcliffe, who is a native of Dor
chester County, has been a close per-
sonal friend of the President for the
past Is years, a friendship which
started when both were vice presidents
of a local bonding company, and it
was only on the personal request of
the President that he accepted the
position he now holds of Federal di-
rector of public works in the tenth
| district, which includes Maryland,
Virginia. West Virginia, Kentucky and
North Carolina.
Could Aid New Deal Policies.
Many local politicians as we'll as
many in the rank and file of the party
however, declare that Radcliffe would
| be in much better position to aid
| President Roosevelt in his new deal
| policies as a member of the Senate
| than as Governor of Maryland.
That Radcliffe could have the SEN
atorial nomination on either the
| Ritchie or jackson ticket is generally
conceded by political leaders here as
well as that he would add strength to
either ticket.
So far Radcliffe has made no state
ment as to whether he would accept
either the gubernatorial or senatorial
nomination. but should he decide to
seek the latter it is generally believed
| he would run on the Ritchie ticket.
Meanwhile, Gov. Ritchie and Mayor
! Jackson, both of whom refused to
! accede TO the request of the petition
of the Eastern Shore leaders, backed
] by Senator Millard E. Tydings, that
they withdraw in favor of Radcliffe,
| are continuing their mpaig n S
throughout the State and will open
| headquarters in Baltimore next week.
DR.. Charles H. Conley of Frederick,
| the other gubernatorial candidate, has
announced that he is in the fight
| to a finish" and under no circum-
stances will he withdraw.
On the Republican side there are
! four avowed candidates for the guber-
material nomination, with H. Webster
Smith and Harry w. Nice. both Of
/ Baltimore, in the lead. The other po-
tential candidates are Mayor Walter
| E. Ouenstedt of Annapolis and Harry
/ T Phoebus of the Eastern Shore. with
Senator Phillips Lee Goldsborough and
! former Representative John Phillip
Hill being classed as dark horses"
France Already Campaigning.
| Former Senator Joseph Irwin France
of Cecil County is the only candidate
who has filed his papers for the Re-
publican senatorial nomination. and
has been campaigning for months. He
has been lining up his forces through
out the State and making such prog
ress that it is generally believed here
| that he cannot be kept out of the
nomination, and may even secure it
without a primary fight.
Senator France, who is making his
campaign on back Roosevelt" plat
| form, is aligned with Smith, who has
been making great progress in his
campaign the past few weeks and is
now generally conceded to have an
equal chance with Nice of winning out
in the primaries.