The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-07-30
WILSON AWAITS
| COX'S SPEECH
Before Formally Recognizing
New Leader, Says Rumor
Now Accusing Comment.
(aY DAVID LAwRENcE.)

NDV 0AVl0 EAWHENC6.J
Copyright. for The Chattanooga News)
ago q story was published that Presi-
| dent Wilson would wait until he had
read the speech OF acceptance by Gov.
Cox and then would write him letter
recognizing him as the leader Of the
democratic party. The White House
similar silence was observed at Day
ton. But the incident has caused con-
siderable comment as the writer learned
by mingling with Ohio folks and not a
few democratic politicians.
The truth Of the matter reveals q
rather interesting sidelight on the re-
lations between the president and the
new leader Of the democratic party. and
also exhibits some Of the delicacies In
their respective positions The facts
are these:
When Gov. Cox visited President Will
son in Washington, the latter talked
cordially to him about the general po-
litical outlook and his own candidacy
and said frankly that he was glad to
surrender the leadership OF the party to
the nominee OF the convention. This
pleased Gov. Cox very much, and II
was fully expected that the president
would make some such statement In
public so that there would be no doubt
in the minds OF the voters as to who
was leading the party In the coming
campaign. But no statement or letter
has been forthcoming and the impress
sion Is that Mr.. Wilson will wait until
he examines the speech Of acceptance
and determines whether or not the Ohio
governor has expressed himself cor
rectly from the Wilson viewpoint.
Harding 10 Cited.
Out in Ohio. however, impressions
like that are apt to be understood as
coercion for 1t Is contended that Hiram
johnson held a club over Senator Hard
ing and withheld comment until after
the speech of acceptance, and the in
ference promptly was drawn that Mr..
Harding wrote his speech merely to
meet the approval of johnson on the
league of nations issue.
As matter of fact, Gov. Cox isn't
consulting the White House In any
sense about the speech of acceptance.
and is writing it from his own point of
view to express his own views and not
have others dictate them. The presi-
dent need have no concern about the
governors views upon the league of
nations for he has studied the question
thoroughly and knows the difference be-
tween reservations that reassure the |
American people absolutely on questions
Of sovereignty independence and the
making OF war.
Iioh ing Shio polht Va NicW' dis ehe
writer gathers 1t from sources here
friendly to Cox, II would be much bet
ter strategy for the president to make
public at this time what he told Gov |
ernor Cox in their conversation two
weeks, ago at Washington rather than
to wait until after the speech of accep-
lance. For already friends Of the DEM
ocratic nominee are saying privately
that the Cox visit to the White House
may have been a good thing to reas-
sure Wilson democrats, but on the other
hand, 1t made other democrats and
Independents wonder how far Cox
would be obliged to swallow all the
ietects Of the Wilson administration.
Cox Free to Criticize.
Governor Cox was not in Washington
sltner IN the legislative or In the execu-
I've orahch OF the government, and sol