U.S. PRESIDENCY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 32, 8 February 1932, Page 10

U.S. PRESIDENCY

DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION

AL SMITH IN THE FIELD

United Tress Association—By Electric Telo-

graph—Copyright.

(Received Bth February, 1.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, 7th February.

What is considered an official announcement of his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the Presidency is contained in a statement byMr. Alfred E. (Al) Smith to-day that, if nominated by the Democratic Convention, he would be glad to run.

Alfred E. Smith, one of the ablest sons of the Democratic Party and former Governor of New York State received the party's Presidential nomination in 1928, but failed to meet the appeal of Hoover at the last Presidential election, after which it was conceded that for all his undoubted virtues his disadvantages were great. He is a Tammany man, and a wet among other things, and it seems unlikely that he will receive the nomination again. He is a newsboy who rose to the forefront of public life, coming from the Irish Fourth "Ward and learning his politics in the service of the best organised political machine in the world. To-day he draws a fabulous salary from tho company which owns the Empire State Building. The present position is revealed by the fact that it is not long since Mr. Smith foregathered with John J. Raskob, a leader of the Democratic Party, to discuss whether "Al" Smith should be the man to make the nomination speech for Governor Pranklin D. Roosevelt at the next Democratic Convention. Latterly Smith has not been active in leadership of hii party.