Booms

More and more openly politicians are developing their strategy for the political campaign of 1924. Mr. Underwood has had his candidacy openly under way for several weeks. Mr. McAdoo has campaigned, not openly, but visibly, for several months. Among the Republicans, President Coolidge has a boom dating from August, and needing no overt expression. Four weeks ago Governor Pinchot picked his issue, without announcing his candidacy, by beginning his attack on the Administration's enforcement of prohibition. Last week a second Republican found his issue--Senator Hiram Johnson of California.

Hiram Johnson. When Secretary Hughes published the fact that the State Department was willing to assist in the appointment of American financial experts to an advisory board to determine Germany's capacity to pay reparations (TIME, Nov. 5), Senator Johnson had his opportunity. Within a week, in a speech at Oakland, he announced his criticism of the Administration--" At last we are a part of the diplomatic game of Europe. We become entangled in this struggle of secret purposes "--and his own platform --"The United States, despite the blandishments of European statesmen or the mawkish appeals of our own, will be neither policeman nor collector abroad."

His speech was followed by an announcement from The Norristown Times-Herald, newspaper of Ralph Beaver Strassburger of Pennsylvania, one of Mr. Johnson's political backers: " It is believed that Senator Johnson will announce his candidacy for the Presidency within the next week, in response to calls being made on him by many Republican leaders.

The "honeymoon," as politicians call the short period immediately following a President's taking office, during which he is immune from criticism, had concluded when Governor Pinchot opened fire on the Coolidge enforcement of prohibition. Senator Johnson naturally did not want to be left behind in the race, once Pinchot had entered. The Hughes note was opportune.

Gifford Pinchot. Once having taken up the issue of prohibition enforcement, Governor Pinchot was careful not to let it drop. He continued to apostrophize Secretary Mellon to the general tenor of, " Oh, why do you not enforce prohibition as I would have it done ?" Mr. Mellon replied in effect: "You have 10-000 city police and 260 state police in Pennsylvania. I have 1,522 officers to enforce prohibition in 48 states and three territories. Eighty-six of my men are in Pennsylvania. In two years and two months they reported 7,142 violations, secured 1,434 convictions, revoked 336 permits, seized 2,425 illicit distilleries, secured fines of $304,064, collected tax penalties of $837,423. What more can you ask in the way of earnest effort?"

But there is no doubt that Mr. Pinchot has not finished with prohibition as an issue. Governor Pat Neff of Texas is a Democrat and a resounding Dry. Mr. Pinchot had expressed admiration of the Texan's broad-brimmed hat. Last week a box reached the capital of Pennsylvania bearing the selfsame hat as a present. Governor Pinchot clapped it on his head, remarking: " My kind of a Republican can wear the hat of his kind of a Democrat."

William G. McAdoo. Arriving from Manhattan, Mr. and Mrs. McAdoo with their two daughters, Eleanor Wilson and Mary Faith, were met at the Union Station, Washington, by Mrs. Woodrow Wilson. The McAdoo's had an invitation to stay at the Wilson home, but declined it for fear the children might be disturbing to the ex-President, who is far from well. After stopping at a hotel, however, a visit to S Street was at once undertaken so that the two little girls could " see Granddaddy " who was equally anxious to see them.

Nevertheless, political correspondents, ever searching for hidden meanings, had sense that the advent of Mr. McAdoo to Washington was not purely a family visit. " The time is at hand," said they, "when he will announce his candidacy for the Democratic Presidential nomination." There was reason behind their conjecture.

Daniel C. Roper of South Carolina was not at the capital; he was in California with his son who is ill. But Mr. Roper's work is in an advanced stage. It is he who has organized and executed the McAdoo boom. He drives the McAdoo ma- chine. Twenty years ago " Dan" Roper was a clerk in the Census Bureau. He was there for ten years. He came closer to politics in 1911 when Oscar W. Underwood, then a Representative, became Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. When Mr. Wilson became President, Dan Roper was made Assistant Postmaster General, and later Commissioner of Internal Revenue under Secretary of the Treasury William Gibbs McAdoo. To that chief he still adheres. Now he is the manager of McAdoo's campaign and fighting vigorously Oscar W. Underwood, under whom he once served --Underwood, who is now McAdoo's outstanding rival for the Democratic nomination.

So when Mr. McAdoo appeared at the Capital, watchers assumed that Mr. Roper had decided it was time for the McAdoo boom to come out in the open. Mr. McAdoo had himself intimated that he might soon deliver a comprehensive statement on national issues. But the situation was complicated by Mr. McAdoo's father-in-law, Woodrow Wilson. It is generally understood that if Mr. Wilson had merely to choose who would be the next President, he would select David F. Houston, who was Secretary of Agriculture and later Secretary of the Treasury in the Wilson Cabinet. At any rate, Mr. Wilson is understood to have no particular brief to hold for his son-in-law. He is perhaps opposite minded, and is expected to remain neutral as to the choice of a Democratic candidate. On the other hand, Mr. Wilson would like to press the League of Nations issue, which Mr. McAdoo prefers to ignore as unprofitable. The former President's open opposition would be unfortunate for his son-in-law, but his support, if coupled with the League of Nations issue, might be equally uncomfortable.

Armistice Day approached. On the evening before (Nov. 10) Mr. Wilson was scheduled to make a ten-minute address over the radio in which he might seek to express himself on national policies; and on Armistice Day, Mr. Wilson was to receive several delegations to whom also he might make a public declaration of sentiment. Meanwhile, Mr. McAdoo, without the immediate assistance of Dan Roper, waited.