U.S. PRESIDENCY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 93, 30 January 1928, Page 5

U.S. PRESIDENCY.

CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES. ' THE RELIGIOUS ISSUE. (Press Association—Copyright.) (Received 1 This Day, 9.15 a.m.) NEW YORK, January 28. While avowed and as yet una vowed! aspirants for Presidential honours are working with might and main, through their friends, to obtain promises of the support of State delegations to the respective national conventions, the inter plav of many forces in the American political arena continues unabated. Dr Butler (of Columbia University) has begun a lecture throughout the country, particularly attacking Prohibition. It is known that he desires the Republican nomination. New York Republicans have apparently joined the movement to draft Mr Coolidge, an announcement having been made that the New York State delegation to the Republican National Convention will support Mi"'Hi C. Hoover only if efforts to nominate Mr Coolidge fail. The religious issue remains irrepressible. Mr Paulsen (Governor of Kansas) stated that if the Democrats nominate Mr Alfred Smith (Governor of New York), the Ku Klux Klan will be revived in his State. To this, Father Duffy (Mr Smith's legal adviser and a noted war chaplain) replied that Catho-' lies in the United States would fight the Pope if he were a civil ruler making war against the United States,;