Show washington news by FRED HOLMES HOLE washington correspondent rit ot of the park record four weeks ago your correspondent predicted that alfred E smith sinith would not be a candidate lor for the democratic democrat ic presidential nomination next year and would ultimately come out in support ol of prank lin D roosevelt this paper was among the first to unequivocally vouchsafe that prediction since then we have had to listen to an I 1 outcry by tammany at its ratification meeting in tavor favor of al smith f for or president in 1932 and there are not a few who persist in the belief that this was music in the ex governors ears however well known as it is that smith still retains a host of followers and admirers it may be said that the ex governor has no illusions he knows perfectly well that he cannot be nominated next year and he probably Is aware that it would woul d not be practicable tor for bilto seek the nomination 49 e 0 if smith does not know every other thoughtful individual knows that when he made roosevelt governor ol of new york in 1928 he closed the door upon himself politically if new york were to offer a candidate tor for the democratic nomination its candidate certainly would be the present governor not the defeated ex governor all the democrats who objected to again lacing facing in 1932 the awkward issues which smiths candidacy stirred up in 1928 were sure to commit themselves to roosevelt as a means of avoiding the necessity of nominating smith the story etory that smith is under obligations to roosevelt Is a fallacy for quite the contrary is true and there is no legitimate reason why smith might not conscientiously oppose the roosevelt nomination smith faces a situation in which another man Is sure to have the new york state delegation perhaps steadily at least for a few ballots it the tammany threats against roosevelt are to be taken seriously pertinently it may be asked what chances has a man of nomination without the support of the delegation from his own state and when the leaders of other states no matter how much they may admire him think that his nomination would entail more risk than that of any other candidate no smith knows well enough that he cannot be a candidate and he will not be a candidate ab 41 aw obviously the question arises what Is he going to do clinton gilbert who writes a democratic column in the intensely republican and administration a supporting u philadelphia public ledger c your correspondents prediction as follows 0 0 As long as the new york delegation wishes to stand for roosevelt smith who probably favors young or baker or any one ese else to roosevelt will have to be for roosevelt he may even have to take the bitter medicine of having to make the nominating speech tor for roosevelt 0 01 course it if tammany really means to desert roosevelt its as its leaders privately threaten to do smith may exercise a powerful influence in selecting the man who will finally be nominated that is hla hij oue one great chance to be the leader of his party in the 1932 convention convent loft 0 o 0 1 0 I W vaa and th this 1 includes the president of the united states have been enter bining the premier ot of france not to irlon n abor his charming daughter the coming of pierre laval to confer witla with president t roo koover v er is an event ot of international s igni licence W which should not be lost bight of in the official ceremonies 1 of welcome no trifling errand could have hae brought him acids th Atlin atlantic tic aid it goes without saying that his visit is much more than one of mere courtesy Vl any thundering pronouncement lie he has made it perfectly clear that he is hoping to find a basis of operation cooperation co with the united states la in dealing not oily wali the present crisis but with h hopes a and tears lears tor 0 r the t Q 0 i what france has asked before and ahat 1 I laval doubtless requested from fr li scover cover Is an assure assurance nee that the united stales acs will not again stand aloof in a kind ot of proud sense of national se when there Is a threat ot of wit war ar on a large scale in other words fiance feels the need of supplementing tac briand kellogg treaty she would ask aek the american Goern government ment to agree to that pact which secret V t ry rj stimson at one time when in london seemed dins disposed posed to accept for his I 1 dment but which afterward was repudiated at washington Ac colding to the eie etring french conviction along that pati path L only lies security for france once assure her of that and she is ready to go the limit in the ray ay ot of disarmament shortly after the ar aneval ival 0 11 laval he be clearly indicated that he did not expect his long pilgrimage to have been in vain and that he expected to take back with him some tonn form of 0 agreement between france and the united states this on the whole Is contrary to the hoover stimson view that nothing very concrete can b be expected of the laval conversations aw 41 0 the premiers revelation came about in an interesting manner dressed in a prince albert coat and his proverbial white tie tic and fingering a cigarette M laval laced faced halt half a hundred press representatives senta tives one of them asked him whether he bo expected to secure any definite agreement out ot of his conversations conversation with president hoover or merely to improve general relations to this the pre rater aler replied r W 0 0 if the sole purpose of the president of the council of ministers in coming to washington was to improve relations between the united states and france and create a warmer spirit between the two sister republics the trip would have been unnecessary and superfluous it Is necessary for us to arrive at definite and concrete w 1 40 at this point premier laval hesitated as it if he were perhaps going further than he had wished and then continued let us give you a resume of the entire situation president hoover and I 1 expect to discuss all problems and as far as possible seek a solution in regard to some of them coming after the conversations in paris london and berlin this meeting in washington marks an epoch in the direction of closer international operation cooperation co a 0 aw in this connect connection iou at V might be added that considering the situation the future position of thai country toward the league of nations nation Is a question which in various washington circles Is earnestly not to say heatedly debated in washington there is deep feeling about tho the league and a little group of senators known as have gathered around them a a fo following Lowing almost in t as vociferous ns as them themselves seles outside of certain large journalistic le figures all of the most violent anti league and anti court people are here the brath Is that outside of washington there Is no report that anyone is having a spasm over the question sentiment here arioul the league and the court as about many I 1 I 1 other things is but mildly among the people outside |