The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-29
NO DE ECISION YET REACHED REGARDING
 STATE CHAIRMAN OF
 UNDERWOOD FORCES
(Continued from Page Five)

stated that he is the choice of a ma although it is by no means certain that he will receive the majority of the votes.
 The republicans have been highly gratified with the leadership of the democrats in the Senate for some months past. They have seen the dem
 ocrats put on the defensive and kept
 there, despite the fact that the re- publican senators as a whole were act ing in opposition to the wishes of the majority of the people who desired a
 settlement of the peace treaty. Re-
 gardless of the fact that the differ
 ences among the republicans were far
 greater and more difficult of recon ciliation than those of the democrats,
 the democrats have been out-generaled
 and out -maneuvered at every turn.
 Tn an effort to create strife in the
 ranks of the democrats and to score
 an advantage over the President, the
 republican newspapers have declared
 that the strength of Underwood was
 really an indication that the democrats
 were not in line with the President and
 his treaty stand Their constant in
 sistence upon this point, although with out substantiation.f and in direct oppo- sition to the declaration of the Presi- dent that he would take no part in the contest between Senator Underwood and Senator Hitchcock, has embar-
 rassed some of Senator Underwood's s strongest supporters.
 NEED ABLE LEADER
 They favored Senator Underwood be- cause they felt that the democrats
 must have a vigorous and able leader in the Senate in order to pull the party together and to demonstrate to the country the failure which the repub- lican majority had made during it's terms of power. They favored him be- cause they knew that while the Pres ident and his friends could not afford to criticise the record made by Sena- tor Hitchcock, they felt that under more cal<able leadership the treaty would have been ratified in satisfac- tory manner months ago and that nor nal business conditions would have been pretty we'll restored by this time. A strong fight has been made against Senator Underwood by both the Anti Saloon league lobby and the lobby of the suffragists in Washington. They have made some headway with certain senators who do not desire to do any thing which might meet with the dis favor of those organizations. despite the fact that neither of these ques- tions can be affected in any way by the outcome of the minority leader ship contest.
 "The south is in the saddle" is an other cry which is being used in some sections in an effort to take away some of the senators who desire to see the leadership placed in the hands of the
 most capable leader in the party It will be recalled that in the elections of 1918, much headway was made with this cry in certain sections of the>coun- try. especially in the west, where it was declared that the farmers of the south, because the price of cotton had not been regulated. were waxing fat and growingi enormously rich. as com pared with the wheat farmers of the west who were forced to sell their product at about s2.55 per bushel CAN COUNT ON SOUTH The south is democratic and may be counted on to support the nominee of the party in the coming election Other sections of the country have to be pacified and given something from time to time to hold them in the fold
 These facts may have their bearing in the leadership fight and may prevent some of the democratic senators from voting their preference in the contest But regardless of how the fight ends it is not believed that it can have any material bearing on the senatorial race in Alabama. The facts are too well
 known for the voters of the state to be deceived about it.
 The fact that Underwood was the
 unquestioned choice of majority of l~the democratic senators, shows the
 prestige which he must have. despite
 the fact that it would be an unprece-
 dented act to make a leader who had
 served less than one term.
 Advices from Washington are to the
 effect that if Senator Underwo ood
 makes determined fight for the lead
 ership, he can land it, despite the pres
 sure which is being brought to bear from certain sections to elect another
 Senators who favor his selection have urged him to return to Washington and
 wage a vigorous campaign for the honor. But indications now are that he will take no such action. accepting the place if it is offered. but making no determined effort to secure it.
 RACE TO BE ACTIVE
 Within the coming week, it is ex- pected that the senatorial campaign.