ABSTRACT

Early in 1931 Franklin D. Roosevelt himself had to cold-shoulder a friend of a friend who wanted to write a "biblious-ography" of him. Roosevelt had made a good start with his polite letters on farm questions and power problems, and his winsome wooing of the Georgians. Roosevelt spotted the danger at once. As he congratulated Farley he warned: "The thing we must work for now is the avoidance of harsh words and no sulking in tents." Faced with fatal threats in California, Texas, and New York, Roosevelt temporized while Farley garnered early victories in Alaska and Washington, and Louis released three more "Straus" polls. Roosevelt was buffeted by advice. Louis insisted he "sit tight" on everything. House demanded a strong position on both Tammany and the League of Nations. The Tammany issue took less soul searching, but it proved more dangerous. Early in February Smith announced his own candidacy. Two weeks later Roosevelt removed the sheriff from office.