Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-22
JOHNSON |SLOYAL
To HARDING PAST
SHADOW OF DOUBT
Californian Taking Senator
at His Word Regarding
the League,
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

SACRAMENTO, Calf, September g.
Senator Johnson, in his own mimi
table way. has started out to help
Senator Harding win the Presidency.
And If anybody has any doubts about
the loyalty of Californfa's senator to
the republican standard bearer, he
should hear Hiram Joh9son when he
makes his tour Of eastern and west
ern states.
Johnson is taking Senator Harding at
his word, he is taking the public ut
terances of the republican presidential
nominee as his text and is stating it
unequivocally and ,emphatically as q
fact that the republican candidate
means to stay out Of the league of
nations altogether.
Mr.. johnson doesn't talk about res
ervations or such changes or m0dinea-
tions as will preserve American rights
scrapping the whole business. and he
SO understands Senator Harding's po-
sition.
If that is not the attitude Of the
republican nominee. If perchance, he
does believe in American membership
in the present league OF nations win
guards, there is still time for hlm
to save himself considerable embar-
rassment.
and means to hold Senator Harding. to
his expressed position not only dur
ing the campaign. but in the Senate
afterward. 1t is a battle to the death'
SO far, as the league is concerned.
Senator Johnson doesn't talk about
ANYTHING else. He doesn't speak OF
Senator Harding's ability as states :
man or a progressive. He merely Is
glad that the candidate stands four
SQUARE against the league OF nations.
and he expresses openly his admiral
ton for Gov. Cox in standing four
square in favor of the league.
The writer saw the republican state
lconvention render enthusiastic hom-
age to Hiram Johnson. heard the dis
| tinguished senator speak, and there
was not a man in the room who be-
lieved that Senator Harding and Sem
ator johnson ever have had or ever
will have any differences on the mat
! ter of the league of nations.
johnson Ii Working Hard.
The people of California know when
a republican victory.
| He is working hard this time. and
his heart is in the fight because he
believes Senator Harding means to
stay out of the league and accept the
viewpoint which the California SEN
ator expressed in the Senate last
session.
For no matter what one may think
of Senator Johnsons views on the
league of nations, it was he who
started the fight in the Senate and he
who kept the republican party at Chi
cago from indorsing the league with
/ the Lodge reservations.
| He feels now that Senator Harding
has become one of the irreconcilable
group and in every speech he takes
only Senator Harding's public
speeches. There Is a rumor afioat that
Senator Johnson has in his pocket a
letter from Senator Harding saying
! in effect: You have interpreted my
position correctly" But Hiram john
son, even il he possesses such a docu-
| ment, is not using it. He merely takes
the Harding speeches and ignores all
reference to possible use of the
| league of nations machinery. He in
! sists that Senator Harding has
! scrapped the entire league because
of that action, the California senator
does not hesitate to go the length and
breadth of the land campaigning for
the republican ticket.
| Now on the other side of the Ques-
ton; men like Taft, Hoover, Hughes
Root, Wickersham and President
Lowell of Harvard. hope that Senator
Harding will be all right on the issue
CONTINUED on Page Il. Column q