Father Knickerbocker

Two months ago, it seemed doubtful that Tammany Hall would dare to nominate a man to challenge "Red Mike" Hylan's prescriptive right to be perpetual Democratic Mayor of New York City.

Now if there is a man whom Governor Alfred E. Smith despises, it is Red Mike. And if hatred can be holy, the Governor makes it so in his devout abomination of William Randolph Hearst and all his published and unpublished works. Finally, a devious fate has given to the brilliant man he most detests a complete ascendancy over the stupid organization he most despises.

So the Governor told the Sachems of Tammany to fear not, for he would work. With such assurance, Tammany dared do anything and nominated last month State Senator James J. Walker for Mayor.

Primary day is Sept. 15. At the climax of the Hylan vs. Walker primary campaign, it seemed certain that Jimmy Walker would win.

The Issues. Not in years has Mayor Hylan missed an opportunity to tell his constituents and all visitors to New York, including the Queen of the Belgians and the International Police Conference, that he has preserved the five cent fare in New York travel, thus keeping from the Wall Street barons upwards of $3,000,000,000,000 excess profits. This issue was captured by Senator Walker, who pointed out that the Mayor of New York is powerless either to raise or lower the fare.

Mr. Hylan has talked about prostitution and other social sins. But few believe that Senator Walker is Vice's champion.

The Mayor has found it equally difficult to identify himself exclusively with the education of minors, and the protection of women's health.

For their part, Governor Smith and Senator Walker have been chiefly concerned as to whether or not Mayor Hylan is mentally incompetent to transact business.

Pot-shots in the campaign: Governor Smith: "The fathers and mothers of New York resent Mr. Hearst's interference in the politics of this city, because the example of his life is such as to make it undesirable that our youth be impressed with the fact that a man like him can wield any considerable amount of political influence in any community."

Governor Smith, in answer to a published letter from Mr. Hearst from San Simeon, Calif.: "Mr. Hearst's entire statement is a lie and I will prove it. He says that '. attacked the Mayor as a Ku Kluxer. That is a wicked, premeditated lie. . .

"Mr. Hearst told another lie in his statement when he said that I met Mr. McAdoo in the rooms of Lewis Nixon and that we named Mr. Davis as the candidate. Notify Mr. Hearst that I say that is a deliberate, wicked, unfounded lie."

Mayor Hylan, incensed at having been driven off the public radio by Court injunction: "The traction and underworld sympathizers, growing- panicky at the crumbling of their walls of misrepresentation before the broadsides of hard facts which I have given to the people in the last few days, made crafty moves yesterday to muzzle essential information from reaching the people. L delivered an address over the municipal radio station pointing out that Mr. Walker as a State Senator and a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture had appeared privately as attorney for the -% meat packers, who had in their possession time and again rotten hog livers and pigs' heads, frozen spotted eggs, putrid spareribs and beef brains, and pork snouts in an advanced stage of putrefaction. . .

"We shall see whether in the worlds greatest city the forces of greed and plunder can completely muzzle the truth and whether they can appease the public appetite with Dead Sea fruit in order that they themselves may get control of the Government of New York to serve their own selfish ends at the expense of humanity and decency and honesty in municipal administration."

Senator Walker, at a nearby beach, which had been favored by a Mayor Hylan boardwalk: "His speeches, like his beaches, are strewn with filth and garbage."

The leading Republican candidate--expected to win the Republican primaries--is Frank D. Waterman, famed manufacturer of fountain pens, nephew of his company's founder.