U.S. PRESIDENCY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 3 May 1928, Page 9

U.S. PRESIDENCY.

CALIFORNIAN PRIMARIES GOVERNOR SMITH’S VICTORY THE INFERENCES TO BE DRAWN (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH—COPYRIGHT.) (AUSTRALIAN PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Received 10.45 a.m. to-day. NEW YORK, May 2. San Francisco advices- state that the hopes of Senators Walsh and Reed for support of California’s delegates at the Domocratic National Convention suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Governor Smith in the Presidential primary returns from the majority of precincts. It was indicated that Smith’s victory is virtually a landslide; 7040 of the total_ of 8753 precincts showed the 1 following vote: Smith 119,959 Reed 50,728 Walsh 44,004

Mr. Hoover, the only Republican candidate who received endorsement, received a: vote of 507,115 in the same number of precincts. Governor 'Smith’s overwhelming victory has assured him of the votes of California’s delegation at the National Convention, Mr. Hoover being similarly assured of the Republican votes. Governor Smith’s victory carries certain obvious conclusions with it, the first of which is that Air. MeAdoo’s power is a shadow of its previous strength jvhen, in 1924, he succeeded in deadlocking the Democratic Convention to Governor Smith’s disadvantage. Walsh was 1 Mr. McAdoo’s candidate for Democratic nomination, and while it was not seriously considered that Walsh would obtain this', it was nevertheless obvious that McAdoo’s strength lay In California, and* if he could throw* it to Walsh, -Smith would have trouble next .Tune. There is now some reason to .attach importance to the contention of Smith’s friends that the Democratic Convention will nominate him by acclaim. His advancement has been phenomenal, and on the basis of,the primaries alone Smith’s “dry” Protestant opponents will have to weigh the advantage of certainly the most popular Democratic figure against the thought of supporting a; Catholic and a. “wet,” and if they want victory at the polls, which is the. Democratic politicians’ dream, they will have to swallow chagrin and support Smith. In the meantime the next six weeks will bring out what inherent, although in-apparent, strength Senator Reed may show as an opponent to Smith.

California’s 29 Republican: delegates were instructed to vote fop Hoover, there being no opposition.