The Washington times., 1934-10-31
NEED Of FUNDS
SEEN AS HOPE
FORPLEA
President Refuses to Indorse
New Plan of Washington
Democratic Strategists
BY GEORGE r. HOLMES
Copyright. 1884, by international
News SerVice)

News Service)
When the history Of this un-
usual campaign Of 1884 is written
there will be no stranger chapter
than that which attempts to de-
pict the attitude Of the Roosevelt
Administration toward Upton Sim
clair's EPIC" candidacy for the
governorship of California.
Democratic New Dealers" have
been divided upon it from the out
set, one group contending that the
erstwhile Socialist is logically en-
titled to Administration support
just as any other Democratic can
didate; the other maintaining with
vigor that the party could not
"afford" to be tied up with a
candidacy so BADLY radical as that
of Mr.. Sinclair. They still are
divided.
President Keeps Silent
Between these two groups, Presi-
dent Roosevelt has kept silent. He
received Mr.. Sinclair at the sum-
mer White House" at Hyde Park,
permitted him to do all the talk
ing after their long chat, and
neither by word or deed indicated
support of or opposition to Mr..
Sinclair's novel plan for making
over California economically.
The latest development in this
bizarre situation came today when
it was learned the anti-Sinclair
wing of the Democratic strategists
are making an eleventh hour ef'
fort to have the EPIC" Socialist
withdraw from the race in favor
of the Progressive Common
wealth" candidate, Raymond L.
Haight.
With that object in view, J. F.
T. O'Connor, Comptroller of the
Currency, an adopted Californian
and a former law partner of Sen
ator w. G. McAdoo, has flown to
California to try his persuasive
wiles on Mr.. Sinclair. Efforts to
obtain White House approval Of
his mission we're unsuccessful be-
fore his departure.
How Tale Is Told
AS the story Is told in Washing.
toms inner political circles, Mr..
Sinclair telephoned a prominent
California banker in New York
last week, whom he apparently
believed was not unfriendly, at
least not bitterly unfriendly to his
candidacy. Mr. Sinclair said. in
effect, that he was by no means
licked in California, polls to the
contrary Notwithstanding. and
that with a modest loan for or
ganization purposes he was GER
tain of victory.
The banker is reported to have
listened attentively and then
given a tentatively negative reply
to a request for a loan. There
after he caught the first train for
Washington, where he endeavored
to ascertain just exactly how the
White House felt toward the Sin
clair candidacy. He wanted to
know precisely whether the White
House wanted to see Mr.. Sinclair
elected or defeated.
All he got for his pains was
just about what every other in
quirer had got-that the White
House is keeping entirely aloof
from the EPIC (no pun) struggle
in California, and would continue
to do so.
O'ConnOr as Missionary
Then the idea was conceived
among the anti-Sinclair strategists
among the Democrats here that
perhaps Mr.. Sinclair could be
persuaded to withdraw. They
reasoned that the fact he was
seeking ancial assistance
augured a weakness which might
make Mr.. Sinclair amenable to
reason. And they hit upon
j. F. r. lefty" O'Connor as the
missionary.
Mr.. O'Connor then sought
White House approval of his
mission. He thought if he could
go to Sinclair and say the White
House desired him to withdraw
it would have a powerfully per.
suasive effect. But he did not
even see Mr.. Roosevelt.
He was informed that if he
desired to make his pilgrimage
as an individual Democrat, as a
Californian, that was his busi-
ness. But as for Mr.. Roosevelt,
he was keeping entirely out Of
CALIFORNIA; Democratic squabble.
Mr. O'Connor left disappointed.
Not even the usually loquacious
Postmaster General, James A. Far,
ley, gave the O'Connor mission
any public sanction-if, indeed,
l.