In New York

The political situation in the state with the largest population last week began to clarify in complexion and assume very vivid colors in makeup. Some time ago the Democrats, whose stronghold is New York City, discovered that it was good policy to be Wet. The Republicans, much of whose strength is in upstate Dry regions, have heretofore been arid. The leaders to be chosen for this year's electoral battle were eagerly awaited. The one sure contestant had been Republican Senator Wadsworth, who comes up for reelection. He is the representative of a "landed family," the members of which have since 1790 acquired 35,000 acres of land in Livingstone County, N. Y., have occasionally taken part in politics and not infrequently in wars. His father and grandfather fought in the Civil War; he himself served in the Spanish-American War. After warring he turned to farming. He married Alice Hay, daughter of Secretary of State John Hay, in 1902, and since then has been much in politics. What is concerned chiefly in the present situation is that in earlier days he voted against the 18th Amendment and for the Volstead Act. He has been rated nominally Dry, but moist in inclination.

Last week a revived prohibition party nominated one Franklin W. Cristman, a Methodist banker and lawyer, in hope of taking enough votes away from Wadsworth in Dry regions to defeat him.

The next day Wadsworth replied. He wrote a letter to "a supporter" --a letter which he promptly made public:

"It is a great pity that the 18th Amendment was ratified.... As for the Volstead Act, I have been convinced for a long time that its provisions in some respects are extreme and should be modified. . . . I shall be perfectily frank, however, and say that, while I advocate modification, I do not believe the modification of the Volstead Act within constitutional limits will solve the problem permanently. I think we must go back to the 18th Amendment itself and substitute for it a simple grant of power to the Congress. That done, I should hope that the Congress and the States (through the authority of the Congress) could establish in this country, in accordance with local sentiment and desires, some such system as prevails in the Province of Quebec.

"The principles of the Quebec plan, I believe, are sound. The plan, as a result of the Government taking over the sale exclusively of all alcoholic beverages and forbidding the consumption of those beverages upon the premises where sold, does away with the saloon and the private liquor traffic. Furthermore, the plan does not permit the establishment of a Government liquor store in any community which has voted that it does not want such a store."

Whom the Democrats will nominate for Senator remains uncertain. It is known, however, that Tammany expects to pick a "dripping Wet." So whether the Dry forces can defeat Wadsworth or not, New York seems certain to have a Wet Senator for the next six years.

As the major party candidates for Senator are or will be Wet, the same is likely to be the case with the candidates for Governor. Reports last week had it that Governor Smith would seek a fourth term--and he is as Wet as all of Tammany; and reports had it that Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler, President of Columbia University and noted Wet, would be the Republican choice for Governor.

Apparently the antiprohibitionists have seized the balance of power in New York.