The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-08-18
HARDING ID OFFER
 A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEAGUE OF NATIONS
Marion Crowd So Confident of Outcome They Pay Lit tie Attention to the
 Democrats
By CLINTON w. GILBERT.

negotiate as President after peace with Germany has been declared by concurrent resolu- tion of Congress.
 He may describe this sub stitute in the front porch speech which he is to make to present and former Ohio legislators on Thursday. He may announce it later. It is only possible to guess.
 One of the principles of the Marion campaign is safety first. There must be no mistakes made which will jeo- pardize the universally conceded ad- vantage which the republican party has in this election. and one of the principles of safety first seems to bs that party plans should be as care- fully guarded in advance of publica- tion as decision of the United States supreme court. Therefore, all that can be said is that Governor Cox is mis- taken in declaring that no concrete suggestion for a substitute for the League of Nations exists in any re- 41p DrdlH. mere QOeS eXlSl SOlne- thing in the concrete. It will be made public soon.
 WILL ALTER SITUATION
 This will alter a situation which un- biased political observers perceive is to the advantage of the democratic party. and which Governor Cox in his speeches is making the most of. The republicans by promising to propose hopefully an international agreement
 
 desirability of some organization among nations to lessen the chances of war. So long as the nature of this plan is undisclosed it is possible for Cox to keep on saying that they offer nothing concrete to prevent war while he offers something concrete, namely, the League of Nations; that they pro- < pose delay while he proposes quick action, with such reservations to the covenant as will secure it's prompt ac- ceptance.
 The democrats have been anxiously awaiting details of Senator Harding's proposal for they feel it may change the whole character of the League of Nations issue. They have looked to Elihu Root to furnish the conception of an international agreement which will be offered as substitute for the league, since Mr. Root is credited with the authority of the league plank upon
 
 is in Europe working on the details of an international court under the auspices of the league of nations.
 NOT RESPONSE TO COX
 The publication of MT. Harding's plan in detail will not be in any sense response to Governor Cox's criticisms, but rather an orderly development in a conservative political programme A big political issue could not be left in the state in which this issue was left by Mr. Harding's speech of accep- tance. As matter of fact not much attention has been paid here to Cox's Wheeling speeches and only imperfect information exists regarding his pre- sentation of the issues which had to he inadequately described in the press. The idea seems to be to let Cox go on while and watch the effect of his campaign before changing the repub- lican plan to meet it. The belief is that he is running his head against stone wall of anti-democratic senti- ment, although the political resource fulness of the democratic candidate is freely conceded.
 The utmost confidence prevails The lack of accurate and detailed informa- ton about the Cox speech illustrates this confidence. If Cox were more feared he would be closely watched. For example. Marion did not know yes terday that Cox on Saturday at Wheel ing had quoted Senator Harding as saying of the amendment to the Ohio constitution ending no old employers defenses of contributory negligence, assumption of risks and fellow ser wants responsibility. This is revolu- tion-it Is the beginning of socialism Marion denies that MT. Harding ever said anything of the sort
 FRONT PORCH ADEQUATE
 Tn the confidence that prevails here it is asserted that the front porch campaign Is adequate, and this is said to be the candidates own view. though it is said to be opposed by his close advisers. Senator Weeks. Senator Pen- rose and Harry M. Daugherty
 It is explained that though the front porch campaign has produced little of interest so far. it was not planned to start 1t until after Cox had got under way and his campaign had been re- vealed Later 1t is said that in spite of high railway rates and the relative inaccessibility of Marion. enough dele- gations will arriv3 to. give Mir. Harding all the opportunity he wants.
 No one complains of dullness and inactivity here except the newspaper correspondents. and they are profes- sional enemies of dullness and inac- tivity. They despise the motto, Happy is the campaig gn that has no history" They seize a correspondent arriving here from point as remote as Colum bus and treat him as the inhabitants of Thibet do an arriving white man. His coming they regard as an event They ask him the news of the great political world outside.
 WEEKS QUIET SCHEDULE
 The professionals who are conduct ing the campaign with confidence do not feel it to be in any sense remark able that weeks schedule reveals nothing more than a visit of MT. Will H. Hays and some other advisers. To- day the coming of local Inducements association tomorrow. with or without speech from the candidate. and the visit of Ohio legislators past and pres- ent the next day. with a speech proba- bly, on the League of Nations by MT. Harding. Marion is different from Columbus It is not felt here that much depends on the personal exertions of the can didate. All depends upon an already existent state of the public mind and an organization to deal with it. You encounter here the perfect flower of organization. At democratic headquar- ters there is not sign of organiza- ton. There is nothing but Cox. His is . highly personal effort, as personal. as inadequate-looking and as morgan ixed as the adventure of David with his sltnG