21 OCTOBER 1916, Page 2

The Washington correspondent of the Times said in Monday's paper

that there has never been a more confused Presidential campaign than that which is now entering its last month. The betting in Wall Street is slightly in favour of Mr. Hughes. But the correspondent thinks that the Democrats are managing their electioneering more skilfully than the Republicans. " The masses," he says, " are not interested in the campaign. They cannot see that any great issue is at stake." They are, in fact, content with the astonishing prosperity of the country. The Democrats trade on this feeling, and say that there is less likelihood of war under Mr. Wilson than under Mr. Hughes. Mr. Hughes repudiates the charge of warlike intentions, but points out that Mr. Wilson has not avoided war in Mexico or great danger of war with Germany. On the whole, however, the repercussion of the European war is slight.