Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-10
HOOVER DRIFTING
DEMOCRATIC WAY,
LEADERS DECLARE
Stand Favoring League Would
Bar Him From Republican
Fold, in Washington View.
SPURNS G. o. p. SPONSORS
Correspondence Baltimore sun.

Correspondence Baltimore Sun.
Washington Feb. q.-That Herbert
Hoover has placed himself beyond the
pale of possibility as a Republican candl-
date for the Presidency and that he has
put himself in hnc, unconsciously as 1t
may have been, for the Democratic
nomination. IS the firm conviction OF
bi-party politicians in Washington today
rs the result OF careful study of all the
facts and circumstances of the Hoover
statement issued last night
Republicans almost without eyccp-
ticn take the position today that IT Mr..
Hoover had aspired at any time for the
Republican nomination or had consented
TO hrs friends aspiring, IN his name, he
now has burned his bridges behind hlm
so far as the Chicago convention is con-
oerned and that he need not give further
thought TO himself in that connection.
Democratic calculators agree with this
view and add that they, without doubt,
have recruited MIR. Hoover. They feel
thst he is drifting decisively in their
direction, and that while he himself may
not realize it, he is being taken into
their camp by the force of circumstances.
REPUpIArEs C. o. r. SPONSORS.
In the FIRST place, it is declared, Mr..
Hoover has repudiated all the Julius
Bsrneees who undertook TO make
Republican out of him. He has stated
very definitely that he is not a Republican
and that no one has been authorized TO
speak for him or about him in terms of
Repubhcanism, progressive or otherwise.
II Is true, also, that he is not Democrat.
If his statement Is to be taken literally.
But Mr.. Hoover is proponent of the
League of Nations covenant. So is
Woodrow Wilson, the Democratic Presi-
dent; so Is the Democratic minority of
the Senate, so is the Democratic party as
a psrty. The duly elected spokasmen
Of the Republican party are opposing the
League covenant, at least such parts as
are held by the President to be vital
This is the way the Hoover situation
is being sized up here today. He has
taken his stand with the Democrats upon
what may develop into the paramount
issue of the cam paign and to that extent,
At least, he has cast his lot with the party
IN power. His friends quite understand
this. Democra tic leaders understand il
and Republicans have not failed TO under
stand it.
NOT DEMOCRAT, OPPONENTS REFoRr.
Republican leaders, however, argue
that Mr.. Hoover proves himself by his
statement to be as unacceptable to the
Democrats as a Presidential nominee as
as the Republicans. They contend that
he is not Democrat and capnot be made
one: that he viii never embrace enough
Democratic doctrine TO make him a
good enough party man to head the ticket
1T San Francisco and they predict that
tke Bryan forces, the Palmer forces. the
Marshall forces and all other old-line
Democratic influences viii combine on the
Shrrz--I0stn r1al-c fp4~,nSe,hf1 h.
nomination Of any but q tried and true
party man.
NJ this might be true, msny Demo
cratS answer, if the party ID power were
not on the defensive. If il were not dubious
over its ability to win IN November with
machlnc-made candidate and If the
Democratic voters as body were not
beliey cd 10 be inclining in the direction
Of Hoover regardless Of his partv IT.
regularity. They recall that IT was
pressure from the people back home which I
made possible the nomination OF Wood .
ROW Wilson at Baltimore in 1912 and the I
same sort Of pressure might sweep the +
Democratic old guard aside at San Fran .
cisco by demanding Hoover.
PRESIDENTS COURSE WAITED.
1t might be stated that politicians are |
wondering what the course OF the Presi |
dent will be with respect to the action .
of the San Francisco convention. Thev I
have no doubt about his own candidacy |
any more. 1t is not no believed for a /
minute that he viii seek q third term, /
but it is quite conceivable that at some /
appropriate time he Will make an appeal /
10 his party IN behalf of candidate who.
in his judgment, meets the demands of
the hour.
Suppose, for example, he should feel
that Mr.. Hoover is the logical man TO
assume the party leadership, that the
iatters stand upon the League OF Nations,
upon industrial issues and upon other
great public questions makes his nonlina-
ton necessary to the salvation of the
country, and believing all this, he should