Evening Star Newspaper, September 23, 1928, Page 5

POLITICIANS KEEP WATCH ON WEST Smith’s Oklahoma Speech Seen of Little Value; G. 0. P. Confident. (Continued from_First Page.) Hoover regarding conditions in New York. He said there had been a marked improvement in the Republican situa- tion in the State since the latter part of August, when Edmund Machold was elected Republican State chairman. He said the new chairman had political ability and much political experience. “The morale of our party.” said Mr. Fish in a statement issued following his visit to Mr. Hoover, “due to a series of defeats in New York State, has been at a low ebb, but Chairman Machold has worked wonders in less than a month and infused a spirit of confidence and teamwork among the Republican lead- ers that should result in carrying the State for the Republican ticket by over 100,000 votes. National Committeeman Charles D. Hilles, William H. Hill, the original Hoover leadér, and City Chair- man Samuel Koenig are all working harmoniously and effectively for Re- publican_success.” Mr. Fish told Mr. Hoover he was confident that Attorney General Ottinger of New York City would be nominated for governor and that the candidate for United States Senator would come from up-State and be de- termined upon at a conference of Re- publican leaders to be held at Syracuse on the eve of the convention. Mr. Ottinger was the only Republican chosen to office in the State-wide elec- tion two years ago. He is a Jew and if nominated and elected he will be the first Jew ever to serve as Governor of New York. Oscar Straus was nominated on the Bull Moose ticket in 1912 for governor, running on the ticket with the late Theodore Roosevelt, who was seeking the presidency. He has _been widely proposed as the G. O. P.s nominee for governor, and while some of the leaders have been rather hostile to his selection, it is well understood that if he were turned down now, it would offend thousands of voters in New York. Confident of Increase. i Alan Fox, secretary of the Hoover- Curtis campaign committee of New York, has reported to the Hoover headquarters nere that his organization has made a careful check of the pros- pective vote in up-State rural districts, and “feels it can predict without exaggeration that the Hoover-Curtis majorities in such sections will be con- siderably larger than those given the Republican ticket in 1924.” The Republicans, however, have been &ble to count on many Italian votes m New York in the past, but the in- formation here is to the effect that thousands of the Italian-American voters will support Smith this year, be- cause of the wet issue, because of his stand on immigration and because of religious ties. Another large foreign group that might be expected to sup- port Mr. Hoover is, however, leaning to Smith, the Poles. Senator Nye of North Dakota, who, along with Senator Frazier, another Progressive Republican, is supporting Hoover in the presidential race against Smith, yesterday took the view that Gov. Smith would fail to impress the farmers of the West unless he came out flat-footed for the equalization fee, “which,” said Senator Nye, “he has not done.” Senator Nye is to leave Wash- ington to go to North Dakota, where he will plunge immediately into the cam- paign. He is to take the stump for the re-election of Senator Frazier, and at the same time he will work for the election of Hoover. He said frankly that North Dakota was a real battle- field, but that he believed in the end the voters of his State would line up for Mr. Hoover rather than for Gov. Smith. A letter received, here from Senator Howell, progressive' Republican, who is campaigning for re-election this year, and also supporting the Hoover-Curtis ticket, written since the Smith speech in Omaha, insists that the situation in Nebraska looks favorable for Republi- can victory. In his letter Senator Howell said that he had visited 70 towns throughout the State and found the Republican sentiment in all of them strong. He added that many Bryan Democrats were not going to support the Smith-Robinson ticket. For the senatorial nomination in New York several Republicans are be- ing considered, including Representa- tive Snell, chairman of the House rules committee; Representative Parker, chairman of the House interstate and foreign commerce committee; Ambassa- dor Houghton, now stationed at the Court of St. James, and Mr. Fish. There is opposition to the nomination of Am- bassador Houghton on the theory that his intimate association with the Brit- ish might militate against the ticket. The Natonal Woman’s Party which has indorsed the Hoover-Curtis ticket, plans an intensive drive in both New York an. New Jersey. and will send many speakers into both States, among them Miss Mabel Vernon, Miss Maud Younger, Mrs. Clarence M. Smith of New York, national chairm: Mrs. Mary Murray of New York, chairman of the organization's industrial com- mittee, and Mrs. Stephen H. Pell. Primary Vote Encouraging. Chairman Work of the Republican national committee, who returned to ‘Washington yesterday gfrom Boston, where he had conferenc th the Re- publican leaders, said that the Repub- licans were working hard in the Bay State and perfecting their organization. He said that the big vote cast in the primary election last Tuesday, in which the Republicans had outvoted the Democrats more than 2 to 1, was de- cidedly encouraging. He would make no prediction, however, as to the final outcome in Massachusetts. “The women are strong for the Hoover and Curtis ticket in Massachu- setts, as they are elsewhers said the national chairman. “If they elect Mr. Hoover President, I am sure I don't know what the women will want, per- haps a lot,” he added whimiscally. ‘While the Republican national ticket has carried in Nebraska in 1924 and 1920, Nebraska has been a far more de- batable State in the past than some of its strongly Republican neighbors. Tt was carried by Wilson in both 1912 and 1916 and by Bryan in 1908 and 1896. Bryan lost the State to McKinley in 1900. The Coolidge vote was 218. in 1924 to 137,289 for Davis and 106,701 for La Follette. Senator Pine of Oklahoma, Repub- lican, called ters vesterday. He expressed the opin- jon that Gov. Smith had aided his cause in the States of the West by his speech on the farm problem, but he added that he felt confident his own State, Okla- homa, would go for the Republican ticket in November. Davis carried Oklahoma against President Coolidge 20 by 19,500 votes. although went for Harding in 1920 by During the day at his headquarters the nominee received assurances of sup- port from one of his most pronounced foes at the Kansas City convention, Senator Guy D. Goff of West Virginia, who is to stump his own State and speak in New York. Hog Cholera Spreads. Special Dispatch to The Star. FREDERICK, Md., September 22.— Four additional outbreaks of hog cholera have been reported in the county the past two days. The diseage is now prevalent on practically every farm in the Buckeystown district and « northern section of the county. United States Department of Agriculture bul- letins are being sent throughout the county warning farmers to report cases immediately and prevent spreading of the at the Hoover headquar- | Grave Conversation and Dig- nity of Method Mark Callers. PRESS HARD AT WORK Sages and Strategists Seen ! in Numbers at Offices of National Chiefs. BY REX COLLIER. The big political show is on, but back stage in the wings, out of view of the general audience, there is being enacted a sideshow that for downright comedy-drama effects is without a rival on_Broadway. Step behind the scenes of the cam- paign into the inner sanctum of a party’s national committee headquarters if you crave real diversion. 7 Take the headquarters in our’ own Barr Building, up on Seventeenth street, for example. One can spend. there an hour brimful of entertainment, instruc- tion and education and then one can return for another hour and find a | complete change of program—all gratis. Conversation Instructive. A ride in a crowded elevator to the fourth floor brings the visitor to the very hub of the Republican campaign. Here is to be found what makes the wheels of a great political machine re- volve. Here one may solve the mysteries of the art of making Presidents. Aha! Those three distinguished- looking gentlemen over in the corner of the corridor, outside Chairman Work's office, look interesting. Their heads are togéther and a monotone of con- versation in lowered tones arouses curiosity right off the bat. Perhaps this is the whispering campaign itself. Let us move nearer and strain our ears for a snatch of the choicy gossip. “I always change my oil every 500 miles,” one of the politicians confides to his friends. “Are you troubled with carbon knocks on a hill?” asks another. “Well,” says the first, “etc., etc.” Open-Door Policy a Gyp. A happy thought. We will look into this famous open-door policy of Dr. Work and secure a glimpse of the sacred portais of the campaign chair- man. Under this policy all one has to do is find Dr. Work's door and walk right in_without even rapping or any- thing. The door is shut as tight as a drum. Well, nothing like opening it and walking in. What? We've got to state our business and find out if the chairman will see us? And then wait our turn? It's a gyp, that's what this open-door business is. Hm-m-m. Nice lot of offices down that long corridor. We run our eye down the succession of doors and note the names thereon: “Mr. Nutt, Treas- urer,” “Mr. Fort, Secretary,” “Mr. Allen, Publicity,” Etc., etc. Publicity, eh? Here's our chance to learn exactly how newspaper men manage to get all those lengthy interviews with political lead- ers, business men, farmers, bank pres- idents, automobile manufacturers and the like. Maybe some dignitary is be- ing interviewed right now on why he is going to vote for Mr. Hoover. “Is this where the press gets its news of the campaign?” we inquire of a ste- nographer in the publicity office. “No, the press room is on_ the first floor, at the back end of the hall,” she replies. Senator Has Statement. To the press room on te first floor at the back end of the hall we hie our- selves, post haste. The din of mimeo- graph machines and typewriters arises from behind the partitions. Something really must be doing. The press room, further inquiry discloses, is at the far end of the corridor and the information is added that Senator Blankety-Blank has a statement there. A cautious peer into the room dis- arms our fears that our approach will interrupt_the important interview with Senator Blankety-Blank. There is not a soul in _the room. On a long table are several piles of mimeographed mat- ter, which we venture -to investigate. The first document conveys the en- lightening__knowiedge that Senator Blankety-Blank today issued the fol- lowing statement for immediate release. The other hand-outs are similar “in- terviews” and statements. A messen- ger boy comes in, gathers up one of each and hurries out—en route to some hard-working _journalist in an arm- chair at the Press Club, no doubt. “Don't newspaper men ever actually interview campaign leaders face to face?” we ask of-the man at the in- formation desk beside the elevators. “Sure,” he responds. “All the news- paper men are stationed up at M. Hoover's headquarters on Massachu. setts avenue. They do their interview- ing tnere. Nearly everything is given out here in the form of written state. ments. We don’t hold any press con- ferences here at all.” * New Car Parked at Curb. To Mr. Hoover’s headquarters it is, then. This is a palatial (to use press phraseology) residence at 2315 Massa- chusetts avenue, owned by a Demo- cratic lady of some renown. The im- posing stone building occupies more than hai: of the short block from De- catur place to R street, just around the c?rner from fashionable Sheridan Cir- cle. % The house is readily found, for in front of it are parked many automo- biles and a group of news photogra- phers is roosting on the coping of the front steps, in listless array. One of the automobiles, parked in a re- stricted zone, stands out in resplendent elegance above ‘the others. It is a brand-new limousine of expensive make with the license number “V-6000.” It is the car Mr. Hoover bought on giv- ing up the official Department of Com- merce car of similar appearance. There seem to be some bona fide open-door regulations in force at the Hoover headquarters. The great iron grill-work doors are tied back and no austere butler or bouncer stands beside them. The big center reception hall, | done in marble. has been turned into {an office. To the right of the doorway sits the candidate’s personal secretary, Bradley Nash, shielded only by a brass rail. Directly in front is an information desk presided over by an intelligent young man. To the left— Y there they are, at last; the gentiemen of the press! A screen shuts oft full view of the interior, but a hub-, bub of activity greets the ear. There is the din of several typewriters taking a merciless pounding, of telephone bells upanswered, of chairs scraping on niarble flool of voices of men in earnest conversation. ! At Fountain-Head of Wisdom. Here, in this seemingly discordant symphony of noises, is being molded | the public opinion of a nation! How inspiring to stand at the threshold of this fountain-head of editorial wisdom! A ook behind the screen at these up- standing young men, whose fortunate lot it is to meet and know so many in- teresting persons, is an education. Around the sides of the big room are arranged small desks and tables, sur- mounted by typewriters and piled with press telegraph blanks. Two shirt- sleeved reporters, with hats tilted back, are transcribing hot news from a mimeo- | graphed bulletin onto a shect of paper {in the typewriter. A third is napping {in a titlted chair, with his feet propped on the keyboard of somebody else’s | typewriter. ~ Another is all wrapped up in last week's Saturday Evening Post. One is trimming his fingernails remainder are gathered around table in an exciting game of “h Jack and the game.” Some one rushes into the room and “THE SUNDAY STAR; WASHINGTON:- D.” U.;* SEPTEMBER 2 One of The Star’s artists. given full permission to give full rein to his imagination, herewith depicts two scénes which impressed him in connec- tion with the accompanying article. The picture at the top shows the wide- awake, keen and zealous zeal with which a few of the gentlemen of the press at Mr. Hoover's personal head- quarters, 2315 Massachusetts avenue, are interviewing a statesman who has, in turn, just been interviewing Mr. Hoover. The other sketch is an cellent. view of Dr. Work’s “open dos at Republican national headquarters in the Barr Building. One of the persistent whispers of this campaign is to the effect that this open door is always closed. announces that Representative Bigwind is going out the door. “Let hjm go!” growls a correspondent who has"just been robbed of his jack. “Bring him in here if he’s got any- thing to say,” suggests another, flipping a cigarette butt on the floor and step- ping on it. Birth of Big Scoop. “Who cares about what he’s got to say?” inquires a third, without looking up from his hand. Willy Collins, amiable liaison officer for the press at the Hoover headquar- ters, volunteers to speak to Representa- tive Bigwind for the boys. He hurries out and a moment later returns with the Representative in tow. “Representative Bigwind will be glad to tell you about his visit to Mr. Hoo- ver, fellows,” Willy vouchsafes. One or two reporters come over from the other side of the room and the boys at the card table look up, dubiously. “I just came to pay Mr, Hoover my respects,” the legislator explains, almost apologetically. “How do things look back home?” some one asks. “Well, we've got a hard fight on our hands. A hard fight. But I'm confi- dent we will win out in the end. You can quote me on that. But don't say anything about the hard fight, boys. ‘That was just between you and me. Quote me any way you want about my certainty that the outcome will be a signal victory for the Republicans. You know how to word it. Thanks, boys. See_you all again.” “Boloney!” mutters one of the “boys” as he goes back to his magazine. An- other goes to his private phone booth, calls his office and dictates: “Lead Hoover. Yep. Ready? Herbert Hoover today received from Representa- tive F as in Frank T as in tiddlywinks Bigwind, B-i-g-w-i-n-d, uh-huh, com- ma of Delafornia comma a confident prediction of an overwhelming victory for the Republican candidate in that State in November period paragraph quote I have just completed a careful survey of the political situation in Delafornia and quotes comma Bigwind stated following his conference with Hoover period continue quotes. Every- things points to a big majority for the party ticket out there period end quotes end lead thanks.” Interview Blossoms Forth. Thus is born one of the big news stories of a stirring political campaign. Secretary Nash across the Lall, the secretary whose engaging smile as he denies your request to shake hands with “the chief” makes disappointment a pleasure, is the busiest man at Hoover headquarters. He is the outer guard who must fend off from the candidate, upstairs, the well meaning but unim- portant visitors who “would like to see Mr. Hoover.” Those who get by Nash must deal next with “Genial George” Akerson, Hoover's personal assistant, who, more often than not, *'takes care” of the matter ,without bothering his boss at all. An:wertng a candidate’s personal cor- respondence is a task handled jointly by Nash and Akerson, with the assis ance of other members of the Hoover staff. Letters of acknowledgment must be drafted for every gift sent to “the chief.” These tokens range from Texas horned toads and fishing wtkyle to Georgia watermelons and family Bibles. And the “advice” that comes to a presidential candidate! It must be ac- cepted in the spirit in which it is given, even though adoption of some of the suggestions clearly is impossible. Bright Idea from South. Take the novel suggestion sent in by an admirer of Mr. Hoover in the South, for instance. He thought it would be a fine plan for Chairman Work to hire a ventriloquist to stand beside Gov. Smith whenever he was speaking over the radio, and when the governor paused have the ventriloquist say in the governor's voice: “However, you should vote for Mr. Hoover!” ‘The writer of the letter was sure that a good many Democratic votes could be turned into the Republican column by this ruse. Mr. Hoover, how- ever, considered the plan not only im- practicable, but quite unfair to his op+ ponent, and consequently the proposal joined a pile of others—in the waste- basket. ‘The correspondence and the corre- spondents, the curiosity seekers and the politicians, the flash-lights, the printed propaganda—all the ballyhoo that fea- tures a campaign headquarters—are necessary factors in the quadrennial selection of the Nation's leader. They are factors that make themselves felt in both parties. Thanks to the sensible attitude adopted by both opposing candidates ‘far White House honors, much of the ‘boloney” that featured old-time politi- Free Lgcture CHRISTIAN SCIENCE oy Richard J. Davis, C. S. of Chicago, Ill. Member of the Board of Lecture- ship. of The Mother Church, The First Church of Christ Scientist, in Boston, Mass. In First Church of Christ Scientist Columbia Rd. & Euclid St. N.W. Sunday Afternoon, Sept. 23 At 3:30 P.M. Under the Auspices of First Church of Christ Scientist No Collection All Weleome COMEDY AND DRAMA VIE BEHIND SCENES OF POLITICAL HEADQUARTERS IN BIG CAMPAIGN | cHARMAN | cal campaigns has been eliminated from the “big show.” But there still lingers back-stage a goodly dash of comedy and melodrama fo add zest to the campaign routine and bring back memories of the days when candidates were showmen—and he who furnished the biggest show re- ceived the biggest vote. HOLD ANOTHER MAN IN RASKOB CASE Detectives Say Statements of First Suspect Caused Second Ar- rest on Extortion Charge. By the Associated Press. PHILADELPHIA, September 22— Détectives who several days ago ar- rested Frank C. Mooney, charged with attempting to exhort $100,000 from Mrs. John J. Raskob, wife of the chairman of the Democratic national committee, today arrested Willlam Goldberg in connection with the case. His arrest, they said resulted from statements made by Mooney implicat- ing Goldberg in -the alleged plot. Mooney was quoted as saying that when he went to the post office here to get a letter he was accompanied by Gold- berg who. he claimed, was to receive part of the money demanded of Mrs. Raskob. Goldberg was taken to Moyamensing prison today where Mooney is held awaiting trial, and was identified by Mooney. Goldberg, denying any part in the alleged plot, was held on a war- rant charging aiding and abetting Mooney and-conspiracy. TILSON IS RENOMINATED FOR HIS SEAT IN HOUSE Flynn and Freeman Also Chosen for Another Term—DMerritt Will Be Named Next Week. By the Associated Press. NEW HAVEN, Conn., September 22. —Col. John Q. Tilson, majority leader in the National House of Representa- tives, today was renominated for Con- Erles: from the third Connecticut dis- rict. About the same time Representative James P. Glynn, Republican, was re- nominated from the fifth congressional district at a_convention held in Water- bury and Representative Richard P. Freeman, Republican, was renominated by the second Connecticut district con- vention, held at Willimantic. Repre- sentative E. Hart Fenn already has been renominated by the Republicans of the first district and Representative Schuyler Merritt of the fourth district will be renominated next week. PLANS TO AID PRICES. Meeting Called to Stimulate To- |3 bacco Valuations. KINSTON, N. C., September 22 (#). —With a view to stimulating tobacco prices, the Eastern Carolina Chamber of Commerce has called a_mass meet- |3 ing for next Friday at 11 o'clock to be held in Greenvilje. “It will mean a great deal toward stimulating the prices from now until the close of the season,” N. G. Bartlett, secretary-manager, said. DENIES G.OP. AIDED INRELIGIOUS ISSUE Fort Calls Smith’s Charge False and Bid for Martyrdom. By the Associated Press. NEWARK, N. J, September 22.— Franklin W. Fort, Representative from the ninth New Jersey district and sec- | retary of the Republican national com- | mittee, issued the following statement here today: “Gov. Smith's charge at Oklahoma City that the Republican national com- mittee is aiding and abetting the raising of any religious issue in this campaign is not only utterly false, but is obviously the result of desperation as to the results of the election. He can have made his speech and his charges only for the purpose of distracting attention from the other issues of the campaign and in the hope that through self-martyrdom he could win votes. “He endeavors to create the impres- sion that all those in his own party who object to his Tammany Hall af- .| filiations or to his views on prbhibition are raising these arguments as a cloak for his religious intolerance. He thus discloses an absolute lack of under- standing that the Democrats of the South and West as well as the Re- publicans are overwhelmingly anti- Tammany and for the maintenance of the eighteenth amendment. “The organization of the Republican national campaign contains both Jews and Catholics in key positions of the highest confidence and importance as well as in confidential secretarial and other capacities to the officers of the committee. “It is, of course, ridiculous to charge that they are helping to carry on a campaign of religious intolerance. As secretary to the committee and as a candidate for re-election to Congress, I personally bitterly resent Gov. Smith's accusations. My election to Congress was due to the very loyal friendship and support of Catholics and Jews who have been very intimate friends for years. I am very proud of their friend- ship, and they need no assurance of my utter impatience with any form of intolerance. “It is just as absurd to suggest that Herbert Hoover, whose introduction to the world’s stage was in the relief of Catholic Belgium—whose career has evidenced a breadth of human sympathy which knew neither color nor race nor creed—whose denunciation of religious intolerance in his acceptance speech ranks with the finest utterances ever spoken on _the subject—would be willing to utilize in his campaign an argument in which his life and words give the lie direct.” ATLANTA BUSINESS MAN IS SENTENCED FOR FRAUD Pleads Guilty to Thefts and Swin- dles—Liabilities $450,000 and Assets Negligible. By the Associated Press. ATLANTA, Ga. September 22.— George W. Forrester, Atlanta business man, pleaded guilty to two charges of larceny after trust and one charge of cheating and swindling in Superior Court here today and was sentenced to serve from 3 to 11 years in prison in the three cases. Forrester, who is alleged by creditors’ attorneys to have liabilities of $450,000 and “practically no assets,” was in- gxcted yesterday and pleaded guilty to- ay. The charges involved use of money turned over to him for investment. Hospital Patient Ends Life. STAUNTON, Va., September 22— Robert B. Noell, 45 years old, a patient at Western State Hospital, from Bed- ford, Va., threw himself in the reser- voir on the place and was drowned about noon today. .. Munich, Germany, will hereafter hold its musical Oktober fest in September. Y :PeGeerPaint: Pure Lead, Zinc & Linseed Oilg T & gf-; “Everything’ for Painting” o Roof Paint.....$1.50 gal. Roofing Cement.$1.25 gal. R S B P S S s MAIN OFFICE-6™ & C.Sts, S.W. ! CAMP MEIGS-5™ & Fla. Ave.N.E. 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