Evening star., 1920-04-02
HOOVER TRYING TO
L|bERAL|zE G. 0.P.,
CUMMINGS SAYS
Democratic Strategy Unfold
ed in Chairman'S Remark.
Eyes on California.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Homer Cummings, faithful Wilson
man. ardent democrat. and level
headed chairman of the national COM
mittee Of his party. is about the best
posted man in the political family Of
President Wilson. His remarks to a
group of correspondents are signin-
can't Of what the real leaders Of
democracy have In mina for the San
Francisco convention. His discourse
unfolde the stfAtegy Of his party.
ut is q sad thing," said Mr.. Cum
mtngx ''rQ Zee an essential democrat
The reference was to Herbert
Hoover. in answer to 4 question as
to what Mfr. Cummings thought OF the
former food administrators last let
ter anent the California primaries and
his willingness to run on a liberal
republican platform.
Believe Hoover VIII BE President.
There is no Disgusting the fact that
there has existed a warm admiration
Tor Mr.. Hoover in democratic councils.
That admiration has been publicly
chilled. but privately it has not al
tered the real belief Of several demo-
cratic leaders that Herbert Hoover is
going to be the next President of the
United States eitherson the republican
lnQG
pendent ticket They will not admit
this-but they think it.
Mr.. Hoover's effort to liberalize the
republican party is regarded by Mr.
Cummings as doomed to failure, just
as was the attempt Of Theodore Roose-
thought, for the democrats don't want
to see the republican convention in
Chicago adopt a liberal platform and
nominate Mr.. Hoover. They fear he
would sweep the country. Their only
hope is that the republican convention
will fail to heed the clamor for Hoover
and nominate somebody else.
Believing naturally that the demo-
cratic party is the true liberal party,
Mr.. Cummings openly says Mr.. Hoover
trying to bring about reform in the
republican yard. They think the speci-
ncations he gave concerning a middle
of-the-road program neither extremely
reactionary nor extremely radical will
be FOUND in the democratic platform.
Obviously Mr.. Hoover's stand on the
treaty differs from that Of President
wilson. and unless something han
pens to take the. treaty out of the
campaign Mr.. Hoover has closed the
oo3I asaIhst democratic nomination.
FOR IN the same conference with
the correspondents. Homer CUMMINGS
predicted that the San Francisco con-
vention would uphold the position Of
Fresioent wilson on all international
and domestic policies. On such Mat
iorm- Herbert Hoover could never he
drafted to run because he differs with
the Wilson administration ON many
policies.
Democratic Use OF Hoover.
Nevertheless the democrats are
ing to- make good use of Hooyer's non
ularlty and the doctrines he pre.chas
They are going to challenge the re-
publican party to do what Hoover
has asked them to do Their sfrsteev
will be to hold up Hoover as the man
who tried to reform the renublican
party but failed-for they are snra
the republicans will not conforn N
the Hoover specifications. The d.r,o
Gratis will continue to say Mr.. Hoover
is really AN essential democrat" ana
that regardless Of many of its flaws
ne VIII nnd more liberalism in the
It would be cruel Joke If the rs.
publicans did nominate Mr.. Hoover
but the democrats are willing to taLe
the chance in extolling the former
food administrator because thew are
confident that Mr. Hoover will be
interest therefore to keep on friendly
terms with Mr.. Hoover for future
campaign uses; whether as a candi-
date or proponent of liberalism. Just
as tne democrats acquired a number
Of progressive votes when the pro-
sressive party was summariiy dis
solved in Chicago in 1916, SO the
democrats think they will see the lib
eral republicans march up the hill
at Chicago this year and down again
into the arms of the democrats.
Meanwhile, Hoover republicans
haven't lost heart and are rather |
pleased that the Hoover announce
ment has not drawn down the dis ',
approval of republicans generally, /
even though it has been scorned by
boomers of other republican candi- |
dates. whose interest in SO doing is
naturally discounted: The supporters
of McAdoo and Palmer feel some-
what relieved over Mr.. Hoover's an
and it would not be sur
prising to see friends Of McAdoo and
Palmer in California entering the re-
publican primaries not only to help
defeat Hiram Johnson because of his
stand on the peacs treaty. but to keep
Hoover out of tho democratic pri-
maries and label him definitely as a
republican. That's thn STRATEGY of the
inor'ent ;i-,h !. "~--j =" /; foint