National Affairs: Detroit's Irishman

In Detroit, a young, short, slender, redhaired Irishman prepared last week to take over the Mayor's office. He had won the extraordinary election required by the recall of Mayor Charles Bowles (TIME, Aug. 4). The redhaired Irishman was a "dark horse" who entered the race backed by the Hearst-owned Detroit Times, opposed by the Detroit-owned News and Free Press. He was Frank Murphy, 37, recently resigned Judge of the Recorder's Court, onetime Assistant U. S. District Attorney, voluble orator. His friends called him "the Al Smith of Detroit." He polled 106,203 votes. Recalled Mayor Bowles, who automatically ran to succeed himself, polled 93,772. The News-Free Press-Recall Committee candidate, George Engel, received 85,556. Onetime Mayor John W. Smith, and one Phil Raymond. Communist, also ran. Mayor Murphy's campaign included promises to aid unemployment by public building and the erection of "flophouses" for the city's indigent. By law, no parties were represented in Detroit elections, the candidates being nominated by petitions of the citizenry.