The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-11
FACTIONS ARE JEALOUS

 to the antagonisn of the progressives and reactionaries. The League of Ma tions is nothing in the opinion of Sem ator Penrose and Senator Kenyon, when issues affecting domestic business life are injected Senator Penrose would conserve organized business. Senator Kenyon would indulge in idealiSm for the uplifting of the oppressed masses"
 Inherently, Mir. Harding is of the Pen- rose school The progressives. who op- posed him in the Chicago convention, know this They arc suspicious. They believe that when the issue is drawn MT Harding. as President, will stand stood, and by whose direction he was nominated in Chicago.
 The progressives anticipate dreadful events. They foresee the filling of four vacancies on the bench of the supreme court by the appointment of ultra.-con- servatives. They foresee effort on the part of Senator Watson a Penrose lieutenant to destroy the federal trade commission against which he bitterly and sensationaIly inveighed last session. They foresee the erection of prohibtive tariff wall and the protection of the in- terests of the manufacturing east as against the agricultural west and south
 HARDING MAY PACIFY
 Senator Harding knows the situation He is a practical politician. He realizes that if the republicans stand together the democrats cannot defeat them, whereas if they fall apart a democrat will be elected President four years from date.
 To the inexperienced, the situation Is so pregnant of untoward possibilities that republican rupture is unavoidable. But MT. Harding proved during the cam paign that he could deal with every fac inr1 aoif aya fa ot and hv hIa pd- ishments hold them faithful to his stand ard. There are some observers in Wash ii,gton who predict that MT. Harding, as President, will avoid the storms devel- opment and will be regarded as the great pacificator'' of the present era
 MT. Harding. beyond all question, "got off on a good foot in Washington He made capital address in the Senate. It was not fuliginous. It was not intricate. It was not subtle. It was simplicity it. self. He said principally that he would serve the country, and that he hoped for the cooperation of the Senate for which he had the utmost respect. In only one particular did he indulge in conventional ard excusable insincerity. That was when he declared that he would rather be a senator than any other official in this or any other country. InaSmuch as this statement caused smiles-was re- garded as humorous-it was not a de- tracting feature.
 THE ICE UNBROKEN
 There was no breaking of the ice be- tween President Wilson and the Presi- dent-elect. The republicans despise Mir Wilson MT. Wilson cannot forgive the republicans who destroyed the covenant of /the League of Nations. There is no hope of compromise between the two.
 But MT. Wilson was polite And MT. Harding was polite The former let the world know through direct tip to the press that he would be glad were MT. Harding to call upon him. The press, properly coached, said so of it's own initiative. There was nothing formal in the invitation. It was not even an invita- ton.
 And, of course, MT. Harding did not seek the President. But en route to the station he drove by the White House and left his card If the President saw it. there is no question but that he n- dulged that whimsical smile of his which excellently reflects his humor