Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-13
SPLIT III RANKS Of
BOTH PARTIES LIKELY
LAWRENCE ASSERTS
Sentiment Today Points to
McAdoo as Democratic
and LoWden as Republican
Nominees
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Copyright, 1920, for The Atlanta Journs

Copyright, 1920, for The Atlanta Journal
WASHINGTON, May 12.-Political
events of the last twenty-four hours
have emphasized the improbability
of a reconciliation between the vari-
Gus factions in both the Democratic
and Republican parties who have
taken their respective attitudes to-
ward the peace treaty and League of
Nations during the past year.
Three divisions exist in each party
and by virtue of their similarity they
appear now to be the nucleus Of
three political parties. President Will
sons letter to the Oregon Democrats
asking for the unqualified indorse-
ment of the treaty and league, fol-
lowed as it was by the announce
me1t of Republican leaders in Chi
cago that they would stand on the
Lodge reservations, has now been
attacked by the so-called 'irreconcil-
ables" led by Senators Johnson and
Borah, who hint at bolt from the
Republican party unless reservations,
league, treaty and all are condemned
The outlook at present for the presi-
Dental nominations therefore would
appear to be this:
publican-Lowden, Wood or
Hoover on a platform of Lodge res
ervations and their chances about in
the order named.
Third Party Support
mocratic-McAdoo, Cox or Pal
mer on a platform written by Presi
dent Wilson advocating unqualified
adoption of the treaty but accepting
interpretative reservations such as
those of the Hitchcock resolution
Independent or Third Party-Sen-
ator Hiram Johnson Or Senator Ia
Toilette on a platform opposing the
entire. treaty and a league and reser-
vations.
Support for the third party will
come from friends of William Jen1
nings Bryan, who will probably wage
an unsuccessful fight in the Sa I
Francisco convention against the
Wilson platform, though Mr.. Bryan
himself would be prevented from
supporting third party which con.
demned the treaty and the league in
asmuch as he himself is ready to ac-
cept the Lodge reserva tions in the
interest of a start toward peace.
support for the third party will
also come from those Democrats
particularly of Irish extraction who
think article ten Of the covenant in.
terferes with the prospect of Irish
freedom and they are lining up SOL
Idly behind Hiram Johnson.
Major Parties Worried
- Of course Republicans fond of
Johnson will join third party if
some one of his viewpoint. heads a
third ticket. The new party will ac-
quire strength from the so-caIled lib
eral or radical wings Of the two big
parties.
This reimbursement or realignment
Of political forces is causing no lit
tie concern to both Republicans and
Democrats. The Republicans are su-
premely confident that the defections
will not be considerable. The Demo-
Gratis think the departure of Johnson
and his following from the regular
Republican party will make the
Lodge treservationist program easy
to attack and that the real friends
of the league will see the Democratic
platform as the only means of bring
ing about an early partnership of the
United States in the present League
of Nations.
But irrespective Of the treaty is
sues, the personal questions in each
party are getting more and more
vital. William Gibbs McAdoo has
the edge on the Democratic nominal
ton. By insisting on uninstructed
delegations and keeping himself out
of the ottice-seeking class by maneu-
vers of receptiveness only, he has
impressed Democrats in the capital
here as a shrewd politician.
McAdoo Long in Game
Mitchell Palmer is we'll liked and
probably has more strength among
the members of the Democratic ma
tional committee than has McAdoo,
but the latter was i'll the game before
Palmer began. Delegates were tied
to the McAdoo band wagon when that
individual was secretary of the treas
ury and director general of railroads.
He got an early start. Added to
this are the mistakes made by Pal
>mer-or rather the group he has
rightly or wrongly antagonized. He
is under attack for failing to reduce
the cost of living, for alternating la
Dor by his policy in the coal injunc-
ton suits, and for his wholesale raids
on so-called reds"
The last charge influences probably
only the radical wing of the Demo-
cratic party which, in any event,
would not stick with the Wilson kind
of Democracy no matter whether
Palmer, McAdoo or any other heir of
the Wilson policies were nominated.
This group still holds Mr.. Wilson re-
sponsible for Postmaster General
Burleson's repression of "liberaP'
periodicals and considers the treaty
and league objectionable as not being
liberal enough, not containing more
Of the doctrines of internationalism
McAdoo Improves Chances
But on the whole Mr.. McAdoo by
keeping out of public office since the
armistice has seemed to improve his
chances with the rank and file of
| the Democrats, while Mr.. Palmer has
been under fire right along. Cover
nor Cox, of Ohio, is serious con-
tender, but just now Mr.. McAdoO is
in the lead. That is not an in.diVid-
ual opinion. 1t is the concenSus of
the Democrats who are on the inside
of things and who know what the
leaders of delegations are apt to do
on the final count at San Francisco.
AS for the Republican nomination,
Continued on Page 6, Column 81