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Show mmm BEVERLY HILLS. Well all I know to Just what I read In the papers, and what I happen to see prowling hither X 1 ai thither. I JO-- was In New '; I York recently Ii pi and I decided llll' B that before I ZJS left there I "p""- would like to see ( V- Al Smith. I 1 A4 jji hadent seen him fSr sLV In a long time flS an na' B'way I if I een an am'rer ' , ot hlra- 1 JU8t wanted to see him and see how he was, and how he waa feeling. So I phoned him, and he said "Come right on down." He Is right across the street from that wonderful Empire Building, in a corner suit overlooking It This building belongs to Jesse Jones a mighty well known Democrat, Demo-crat, be is the fellow that bought the Democratlo Convention for Houston, Tex. He owns these buildings build-ings all over ths Country and rents era mostly to Republicans. Well Al never looked better in his life, and I have known and been seeing him around New York for many years. He started in of course by showing me the 90 story building, build-ing, out of the window that gave us the best view ot it It did look wonderful. Its got some sort of outside structual steel work that looks like Illlnum, and In the sun it just glistens. Then he started la showing me old pictures on the wall of bis office that showed early scenes in New York. He ehowed some of the old houses on the lower east side where he lived, one under the very shade of Brooklyn Bridge. Then the old home in Oliver Street. He is without a doubt the most sentimental prominent promi-nent man I ever met He glories in the past He had one picture that showed the old Theatrical team of Harrlgan and Hart who made their great fame In the "Mulligan "Mul-ligan Guards." It was in a large frame with dozens of the old time favorites, including the old Theatres The-atres that they played in. He would hum to you the tunes of those old favorites. I dont care whether you agree with him politically or not the person dont live that could meet him and be with him awhile that wouldent go away not liking him. I had just come from the White House a day or so before and Was telling him about how Mr. Hoover was worked up over this relief business. Well Sir I bet Mr. Hoover has not even among his own party a single man that has as much sympathy and good feeling for him than Al Smith. There was no put 3$ about it he really meant it when he would talk of the many inings tnat bad seemed to go wrong through no fault of the Presidents, yet he had to bear the brunt of them. Here was a man that had been in office long enough to know what you can be blamed for. No Sir Hoovers best booster Is Al Smith, and he had just been working with Ex President Coolldge on a Committee Com-mittee to give away an Estate that had been left to Charity, and he had the highest praise for Coolldge too, and he says, a? I have always maintained, that Mr. Coolldge has a great sense of humor, and he would tell some of It that happened hap-pened during their deliberations. We went over to the Democratic Club for lunch, and he got to telling tell-ing about the " animal pets that m S4 the children had .Sgm, " at the mansion SK In Albany. He built almost a ir Zoo there to fjol house them. ffiL How a big pet rV J 1 Bear that they -y XJjjSL liad raised from 2',? j a cub had got )vJ 7Ljg I loose and got 2X7J over into a girls , f1 Orphanage, and they was all scared to death for fear he would hurt somebody and Instead these Kids has htm pulling pull-ing and woollng him around and they couldent hardly get him away from them. They was feeding him "wead and jam. He would tell of his doge his Kids had. One a great Newfoundland, that in the summer when it was so hot they would fix him in the basement, and then keep the hose on him. He could tell you every characteristic of every dog, the more trivial a subject the more Interesting he cqnld make it No hard feeling, no rtuTcor toward anybody. A Unique man, with a unique record, polled more Totes than all the other Presidents that were elected, witb the exception of Mr. Hoover. I doubt If he wants to run again. Even If be dont he will retire into private life one of the most, yes the MOST, popular man of our time. He is the most human of our present day figures. He Is not from the soli, but from the cobblestones, cobble-stones, and he knows after all they all are human and just alike. j, (19 1931. McNaofht Sjrodicatf, |