Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-08
COX USES LEAGUE
FOR SUBORD|NAT|NG
VIEWS ON LIQUOR
Senator Harding Expected to
Accept Gladly Challenge
Made to Him.
PARTY LEADERS DEBATE
ON WISDOM OF COURSE
Drys Expected to Array Forces
Against Governor in West-May
Lose Some Followers.
Special Dispatch TO The Star.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
COLUMBUS. Ohio, August Tt is to
be a campaign fight with the league OF
nations as the chief issue. That, it is
generally agreed. is the outstanding de-
velopnient Of the democratic notification
meeting at Dayton today.
Gov. Cox elected to make it the chief
subject of his acceptance address. es-
pousing, if not exactly the original posi-
tion of President Wilson on that subject,
at least the position to which the Presi-
dent is believed willing now to recede.
And it is not to be doubted that Sem
ator Harding will gladly accept the chal-
lenge thus made to him and defend the
attitude that the leaders of the repub-
lican party in the Senate took against
the International covenant submitted to
them, the senator having been among
its most vigorous opponents.
Debated From Many Angles.
Whether the democratic candidate
has chosen wisely in taking this
course is debated from many angles
and viewpoints here tonight. One
thing this choice of ground for the
principal battle of the campaign, if
that is what it amounts to, has gained
for Gov. Cox, is that it covers his
weakest point, his record on prohibit
tion and the Volstead act.
His state administration has shown
spite of the fact that personally he is
teetotaler. In addition. he has ex-
pressed himself as in favor of modi-
fcation Of the Volstead law SO as to
permit the use of higher percentage
of alcohol in beverages than that
law makes possible now under consti-
.tptionai pgohibfticn- -y.sssssy. !,
zhe drys have. therefoIes good rsa-
Son to classify the g6VI 1lSr as wet.
1t would seem. and to array their
forces against him. While in the
east that attitude will probably make
him stronger as a candidate, reports
from reliable sources through the
middle and far west, and especially
where women have the right to- vote,
have it that Gov. Cox will lose heav-
lily of the democratic vote. But the
league of nations proposition is gen.
orally stronger than the democratic
party in most of that section.
Little Opposition to League.
Here in Ohio very few democrats
are opposed to the league of nations
certainly no noted member of the
party is standing out against it. But
there are many republicans who are
strong for the league, even as orig
inally laid before the Senate by
President Wilson, and many of them
are strong men, able to defend their
positions-such, for instance, as DR..
w. o. Thompson, president of the
Ohio State University, and Judge
David F. Pugh Of this city Among
religious leaders. church people gen
orally and educators republican
support of the league of nations is
strong in this state.
And SO the consensus of political
opinion seems to be here that Gov
Cox has done a very aStute thing
exactly what might be expected Of sc
skillful a politician as he is-or at
ing the league of nations issue in his
acceptance speech and minimizing te
the nth degree the wet and dry
question.
Here at the state capital it was ru
mored after the governor had indi
Gated that he would have an inser
for his speech as furnished the pres.
that the insert would deal with tn,
liquor question and would be his owl
personal ideas as to the manner O
dealing with the question in the cam
paign. The governor, it was said. die
not want to be pestered by the wet.
and drys about his position on tina
question, concerning which he wa
firmly resolved and decided-as h,
would be sure to be if it was carried
in the advanced copies.
Air of Mystery Hangs.
The insert did not come and an al
of mystery still hangs over the mat
ter Whether the governor had al
explicit treatment for prohibition i,
his speech anu was moved by som
influence to omit it. is not know
yet outside of the privacy of Trail
End The remote reference to tn
subject supposed to be contained ii
his observation that no candidate 70
the presidency would be expected t
say that he did not intend to violat
his oath regarding law enforcement
does not. of course. satisfy the drys-
not the ultra drys, at least.
Right here at Columbus is tn
citadel of the dry organization u
the United States-the Anti-Saloo
Leagues headquarters-but the fac
that the republican platform is a
silent as that of the democrats, eve
though the resolutions committee di
report a plank indorsing prohibition
leaves the Anti-Saloon League in n
position to criticise the governo
for his failure to make a more def
mite commitment of himself in re
gard to that subject. AS .alread
indicated by DIR. P A. Baker. ma
tional head of the Anti-Saloo
League. that organization, faced b
this condition as to the two leadin
parties. will make no recommends
SContinued on Page 2, Column g.