SMITH OPENS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 198, 23 August 1928, Page 7

SMITH OPENS.

U.S. PRESIDENCY. Will Never Countenance Return Of The Saloon. TARIFFS OUT OF POLITICS. (Australian and N.Z. Press Association.) (Received 10 a.m.) XEW YORK, August 22. Governor A 1 Smith, in an address at Albany accepting the Democx-atic nomination for Presidency, declared that the Republican claim regarding prosperity was unfounded, there being 4,000,000 unemployed and a considerable percentage of business corporations actually losing money. He also pointed to the increased Federal appropriations and increased Federal taxes, and advocated the taking of the tariff question out of the realm of politics by treating it on a strictly business basis. He said: "The Democratic party does not, and under my leadership, will not, advocate any sudden drastic revolution in our economic system which would cause a business upheaval and popular distress." He urged the necessity for restoring cordial relations with Latin America, particularly Nicaragua and Mexico, and strongly denounced American intervention in Nicaragua. Regarding prohibition, the speaker emphasised that the President's duty, embodied in the oath of office, includes defending the Constitution and, "you may be sure I will live up to that oath to the last degree." He pledged himself to make an honest effort for the enforcement, but frankly stated that he personally believed that there should be a change in the law permitting the individual States to make their own liquor laws, though he would never countenance the return of the saloon. Governor Smith promised that if elected he would modify the injunction dealing with abuse in Labour disputes and the amelioration of harsh features in the immigration law, but the limitation must continue.

PEACE PLANS. Real Endeavour To Outlaw War. COOLIDGE CRITICISED. (Australian Press Assn.—United Service.) (Received 10 a.m.) NEW YORK, August 22. "I never will advocate or approve of any law, directly or indirectly, permitting the return of the saloon," Governor Smith declared in his speech in acceptance of the Democratic nomination. Th° sale of intoxicants by State agencies along similar lines in Canada was proposed as an alternative. He advocated an amendment of the Volstead Act to permit States to fix their own'standard of alcoholic content "subject always U> the proviso that, the standard does not exceed the maximum fixed by Congress."

Ho reiterated that he would give the problem of controlling the crop surpluses immediate attention. He assailed the Coolidge Administration's Nicaraguan and Mexican policy, and declared that the "usefulness" of the arbitration treaties as war deterrents had been "materially impaired by reservations asserted by various nations of the right to wage defensive wars as those reservations are interpreted in the light r A Mr. Coolidge's record." He would pledge himself to the resumption of a real endeavour to make the outlawry of war effective, by removing the causes and substituting methods of conciliation by conference, arbitration and judicial determination.