AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3870, 15 May 1928, Page 51

AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

the presidency. CANDIDATES’ EXPENDITURES. NEW YORK, May 10. Mr George Van Namee, campaign manager for Governor Smith, told the Senate’s Investigating committee that the latter’s headquarters here collected 103,301d0l and spent 02,090d0J, of wh : ch the largest sum (41,500dol) went to Mr Justs Wardell, of San Francisco, the agent for Californit. Mr Van Namee said that the only reason any money had been spent was because of “ the scurrilous attacks that had been circulated against the Governnor in the South and West.” Governor Smith himself told the committee that he had not “ done a single thing to obtain the Democratic Presidential nomination.” He aded : “ I Haven’t any plans for the campaign. I promised the people of this State when I was inaugurated that I would do nothing that would take time from the discharge of my duties as Governor.” He said that he knew nothing regarding the receipts to ■expenditures at campaign headquarters. CANDIDATES’ EXPENDITURES. WASHINGTON, May 9. Mr Hoover appeared before the Senate’s Investigating Committee. He stated that he had made no personal expenditure to procure the Republican Presidential nomination. Mr Hoover was «worn similarly to the other witnesses, although it is reported that he is a Quaker. The questioning became so heated that at one time Mr Hoover intimated that the committee was dealing in “ small-type street talk.” He charac terised many suggestions in the questions as “ slanderous,” “ absolutely false,” and “ grotesque.” THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION. WASHINGTON, May 11. Mr James Good, campaign director for Mr Hoover, told the Senate’s Committee that his organisation had accepted contributions of 49,150 dollars, and spent 42,032 dollars. The largest contributor was Mr Edsel Ford, who gave 5000 dollars. A message from Dayton Beach (Florida) says that the State Republicans have instructed the fo’w delegates to vote for Mr Hoover at the National Democratic Convention. A message from Nashville (Tennessee) states that the 24 delegates to the National Convention have been instructed to vote for Representative Cordell Hull, of Tennessee, “ until his chances of nomination cease to be hopeful.” Mr Hull’s victory has been won only after a bitter fight with Governor Smith’s supporters, and is regarded as having little significance, since his chances of nomination are nil. MR HOOVER’S MAIN EXPENSE. WASHINGTON, May 11. While at first it was thought that Mr Hoover’s total campaign expenses to date amounted to 40,000d01, further questioning of Mr Good revealed that this was for Ohio alone, and the total outlay at present probably exceeds 250,000d01. or considerably more than twice Governor Smith's expenditure. Mr Good declared that a large proportion of the money was expended in refuting “ untrue and unwarranted statements ” regarding Mr Hoover's career, which were circulated by partisans of the other candidates, including the statements that he was not an American citizen, that he was not a Republican, that he defrauded China, that he made a fortune from the Boxer uprising, that he fixed the price of wheat during the World War, and finally that he had not accounted for millions of dollars entrusted to him in the capacity of administrator of the great relief undertakings in the United States and other countries. SUPPORT FOR GOVERNOR SMITH. WASHINGTON, May 11. x Further support for Governor Smith's candidature has come from Senator Wheeler, of Montana, who “ bolted ” from the Democratic Party in 1924 after Messrs Davis and Bryan had been nominated, and ran for vice-president on a third-party ticket headed by the late Senator La Follette. Senator Wheeler has published a letter urging the nation to make Governor Smith’s nomination by acclamation. A feature of the letter was a reference to prohibition, Senator Wheeler declaring that the Republican policy was “theoretical enforcement and actual nullification,” and indicating that with Governor Smith in favour of law enforcement there will be an improvement in the enforcement conditions if he is elected as President. MR HOOVER’S CAMPAIGN. NEW YORK, May 12. News from Philadelphia states that Mr A. W. Mellon, Secretary of the Treasury, to-day approved of the candidacy of. Mr Hoover in a statement before the Pennsylvanian delegates to the Republican National Convention. He said: “Mr Hoover seems to come closest to the standard that we have set for this high office. However, between now and the convention I recommend that we hold ourselves uncommitted to any particular candidate so

that when we meet in Kansas City before the convention we will have the fullest liberty of choice to do as is nest for the nation.” This statement is taken by Mr Hoover’s friends as virtually naming the latter as the logical successor to President Coolidge, and that Mr Mellon, who is a figure c vast political influence, is now convinced that neither President Coolidge nor the ex-Secretary of State, Mr C. E. Hughes, is in the nomination race. The claim is even made that this assures Mr Hoover’s nomination on the first ballot, but while it is a distinct gain for Mr Hoover the Indiana primaries have apparently lessened the possibility of his choice by acclaim at Kansas City. PRESIDENTIAL THIRD TERMS. WASHINGTON, May 12. Representative Celler introduced a resolution into the House of Representative declaring against a third term for any President. He said that the failure of the present incumbent of White House to state unequivocally his position and that he would not even be a drafter ” is the occasion that compels the passage of the resolution.