Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-07-17
WIN THE "WAR'
 BE POLITICAL CRY
 IN NEXT CAMPAIG
Even the Struggle Against Autocracy Will Not Check
 the Politicians.

Washington D. C., July 16.-Less
 than four months hence the voters of the United States will be called upon to elect new war congress, including
 in it's choice the selection of consid-
 erable proportion of the senate.
 In spite of the dictum that "poli-
 tics is adjourned" the fact remains that leaders of both the great politl-
 cal parties view the coming elections with at least the customary interest.
 Many of the members of both houses
 are taking advantage of the brief con-
 gressional recess to hurry home and
 see how their campaigns are progress
 sing. To some of those who aspire to
 return to Washington after next
 March the outlook is not altogether
 rosy-hued. Reports that have reach
 ed the capital from time to time indi-,
 cate that many representatives and not few senators are going to have
 a hard fight on their hands for re-
 election Several of the representa-
 tives have already failed to rencmina- .tion and number of others are like fly to go down in defeat in the primar
 ies to be held between now and Octob
 CT 1.
 From the field comes the word that the people are net interested in poll tics this year, but this word will not retard the activities of either great political machine The Democrats will Sight to retain control; the Republi- cans are settling into the conviction that it is possible for them to win a majority of the congressional seats, and it is expected the congressional campaigns will be conducted aggres- sively by both parties.
 Republicans will make their cam paign on the ground that an "effi- cient majority'' should be on control, the Democrats are counting on the ap- peal to "stand by the President,; and not to "swap horses while crossing a stream" to keep the country in line behind the administration.
 The margin of control in both bran ches is today very narrow. The House seven otherwise classified, and there are three vacancies, making the total of 435. In the Senate there are 52 Democrats. 43 Republicans and one Republican and Progressive, the lat ter being Hiram Johnson of Califor- mia. If there should be a drift away from the party in power Republican control of both branches of the next Congress would seem to be possible
 But political managers frankly con- fess that they cannot predict what the future holds. And it is only fair to say that they are not predicting with any degree of certainty.
 They are pretty certain of one thing ', and that is that the people are intent on "winning the war" Occasional straws indicate the temper of the elec- torate in this respect. For example, Representative Frank Woods of Iowa, and chairman of the con- gressional committee of his party, was defeated for renomination recently by a very substantial majority, in the primary election in this district. In the eyes of the people Woods had not voted Fright" on several measures af- fecting the war, and his opponent too his opponent took advantage of l this fact to run on "100 per cent loyalty" platform.
 The possibility of fusion in certain States and election districts is also troubling the middle-of- -the-road party men. The disposition to send back to Washington the right men regardless of party utilization may be far-reach- ing.
 Public interest in the congressional campaign is expected to liven to a noticeable degree with the near ap- proach of the primary elections in the different States. Meanwhile the party are already busy at work with the campaign preliminaries. Chairman Hays of the Republican Ma tional Committee is spending his time scurrying across country or fitting in and out of the capital, interviewing prominent leaders and laping plans for the strengthening of the organiza- tion. At the Democratic headquarters the press bureau is busy supplying in- Ao 1