AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3885, 28 August 1928, Page 31

AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

THE PRESIDENCY. MR HOOVER’S CAMPAIGN. TAKEN TO TASK FOR VIEWS. NEW YORK, August 19. Dr Nicholas Murray Butler, president of Columbia University, and a lifelong Republican, has addressed a letter to the editor of the New York Times, in which he expresses complete disapproval of the stand taken by Mr Hoover regarding prohibition, and the attitude of the United States toward the naval programme in connection with the projects for world peace. Dr Butler denounced as wholly fallacious Mr Hoover’s statement that a strong navy would be a factor for the preservation of peace. “ What sort of mind and nature is it which can, at this stage of the world’s history, deliberately find a basis for respect in force rather than in justice? ” he asks. Of prohibition he says: “The Eighteenth Amendment is an alien unnaturalised invader of the Constitution which must be deported bv the people.” Dr Butler’s letters are believed likely to become notable in the campaign, due to his prominence in Republican “circles.

SECOND ADDRESS DELIVERED. NEW YORK, August 22. In the second address of his campaign Mr Hoover, the Republican candidate for the Presidency, speaking’ at Westbranch, lowa, pledged the farmers of the country that if elected he would call upon the leaders of agricultural thought to join in the search for common ground upon which to act in solving what he regards as the greatest economic problem in America. He made no reference to the increased tariffs on farm products, but elaborated upon Federal financial aid to farmer-owned corporations to dispose of crop surpluses and- for the development of waterways. THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE. FIRST POLICY SPEECH. u NEW YORK, August 22. I w ill never advocate or approve of any law directly or indirectly permitting the return of the saloon,” Governor Smith declared to-day in a speech expressing acceptance of the Deinoeiatic nomination. He proposed as an alternative the sale of intoxicants by State agencies along similar lines to those in force in Canada. He pledged himself to make an honest endeavour to enforce the Eighteenth Amendment and all other provisions of the Federal Constitution, and all laws enacted pursuant thereto. He advocated an amendment of the Volstead Act to permit the States to fix their own standard of alcoholic content, “subject always to the proviso that-the standard does not exceed the maximum fixed by Congress.” Governor Smith declared that his party did not contemplate “ sudden or drastic ” changes in the tariff schedules and he reiterated that it would give the pioblem of controlling crop surpluses its immediate attention. He assailed the Administration for its Nicaraguan and Mexican policies, and declared that the usefulness of arbitration treaties as deterrents of ■war had been materially impaired by the reservations asserted by the various nations to the right to wa-e defensive wars. He pledged himself to the resumption of a real endeavour to make the outlawry of war effective by removing the causes and substitutin'’’ methods of conciliation, conference’ arbitration, and judicial determination He declared that the Republican claim regarding prosperity was unfounded, there being 4,000,000 unemployed and a considerable percentage of the business concerns were actually losing money. He also pointed to the increased Federal appropriations and to the increased Federal taxes, and advocated taking the tariff question out of the welter of nolitics and treating it on a strictly business basis. The Democratic Party did not, and under his leadership would not, advocate any sudden or drastic revolution of the country’s economic system, which would cause a business upheaval or popular distress.

RECEPTION OF SPEECH. NEW YORK, August 23. Governor Smith’s acceptance speech which was delivered before a crowd estimated at 100,000, and was broadcast throughout the nation, received a mixed reception, comment being generally divided along partisan lines. It is interesting to .note, however, that; opponents, as will as friends, declare that, his stand on prohibition ib. unequivocal, and there is no mistaking the meaning of his statement on the subject. Various individuals and newspapers, however, question whether as President he can bring repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment any nearer, and they declare that the system of modification that he advocates would not be, any more enforceable than the Volstead law itself. ' The item of most importance in the reception of . liia views seems to be the enthusiasm with which he is acclaimed by tlie< Democrats themselves.. Individuals and newspapers of 4he Democratic faith take; issue with his ~prohibition ■ views, but, .they commend .-his honesty and ‘can-, dour. Independent newspapers editorially commend the high plane oh.;j»ihijph

Governor Smith and Mr Hoover are conducting the campaign, and predict a close fight. LOS ANGELES TO AUCKLAND MAIL SERVICE. WASHINGTON, August 21 The Oceanic and Oriental Navigation Company has entered a bid with the United States Post Office to carry mails from Los Angeles to Auckland for from 2£ to 8 dollars per nautical mile, depending upon the speed and gross tonnage of the ships used. No action on th e bid has been announced. THE NEXT WORLD CRUISE. NEW YORK, August 23. The determination of the tourist agencies not to include Australia in world cruises is apparently not being relaxed. The Raymond and Whitcombe Company, in announcing the plans for 1930, indicate an itinerary including 29 countries, and Australia and New Zealand are not among them. . SCHOOLS IN CHICAGO. NEW YORK, August 23. A Chicago message states that the Mayor, “ Big Bill ” Thompson, apparently has won his battle against British influence, for Mr W. J. Bogant, the new superintendent of schools, has eliminated from school study all of the six histories which Thompson attacked during the trial of the former superintendent, Mr M‘Andrew. The ground on which the books have been eliminated are that they are pro-British. The single history which remains available to the schools is Gordy’s “ History of the United States,” and that is retained with the request that the picture “ Resplendent Redcoats ” be deleted and replaced by a portrait of George 'Washington.