Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-11
LEADERS STUDYING
EFFECT Of HARDING
.ANT|-[EAGUE STAND
Republican Chiefs Welcome,
They Say, Flat Decision
on Treaty Question.
By N. O. MESSENGER.

NEW YORK, October 11.-"Can the
democrats drive a wedge into the re-
publican party by charging that
Harding intends to scrap the league
OF nations?' is the question which is
agitating leaders In both parties here.
The republicans are well aware
that the opposition is using good
| strategy. and it is suspected that it
is being played from Washington
and directed by q political hand that
has not lost it's cunning. y
Senator Harding's recent utter
ances and the reiterations Of sena-
! league of nations has gone up the
| fiue place a number of estimable re-
publicans In a very embarrassing pre-
dicament.
Beginning with Mr.. Taft and Elihu
Root, who stood all along for rati-
fcation of the covenant with reser-
| vations. the list is a long one and
distinguished.
Their Future Course.
What will these republicans of
prominence do now. it is asked, since
the party leader has repudiated the
league. Can they salve thir con-
! the first thing to do is to turn the
democrats out, and take up the league
As family dispute to be settled later?
II they put the obligation Of ousting
the democrats above considerations of
the league thehr answer is easy. Some
Of the republican leaders are glad that
the issue is being drawn so clearly by
Senator Harding. They were willing to
ride along with the reservationists for
the sake OF keeping peace in the fam
lily. although they never believed in the
league or the reservations in the first
place. Their judgment is that the more
the stand of Senator Harding is realized
by the voters the more satisfactory it
will be to the mass Of republicans, and
that in the long run it will bring him
votes.
The leaders hear from their scouts
that woman voters in New York are
| coming over to the republicans in large
groups. attracted by the candidate's IS
stand in opposition to the league of ma
tons. This is distinct surprise and
ers, who have felt that the league of
nations appealed more strongly to the
women than to the men. That's what
| they have been counting on, at any rate.
Seek Fiat Decision.
There has been SO much sentiment
and perfervid oration about the
league, the political captains say, that
being shorn of all its halo and
brought down to fiat decision as to
whether the people want the league
or do not want it, with reservations
or without it. =
The democratic managers are still
out, they may be able to appeal to
the emotion and the sentiment of the
country and work up a fervor and
heat which will swing the election.
Some of the republicans are just as
thoroughly convinced to the contrary,
tn hn n
and go to the mat on the proposition.
Several of the republican managers
here are determined however. that
the league of nations issue shall not
be used as a smoke screen to obscure
some other questions in the campaign.
of these. New York Is full of busi-
ness men and buyers from all sections
Of the country just now. The hotels
are packed with them, and in the
mems dining rooms you hear more
talk about the readjustment Of busi-
mess, labor conditions, bank credits
and wages than you do about the
league of nations.
Business Pr6Ulems.
| AS every business man knows,
| things are in critical condition in
the country and men of affairs are
pacing the floor nights figuring a way
out. 1t is going to be figured out. Of
fashion. Well. 1t seems from talks
with these people. representing all
parts of the country, that they have
the idea the republican party should
i be igven a chance to work out the
business salvation Of this construc-
! ton period, and to pass the legislation
which will remove the btrden Of su-
pertaxation and all that sort of thing.
They appear to think that 1t is best
to make a change Of parties and to
have more confidence in the ability of
the republicans TO do things.
That's the cold. brutal truth about
kow they feel. mortifying as it may
sound to good democrats. But mark
| this prediction-if there is an upheaval
and a republican landslide, it will be
due to the existence of this very sem
timent in predominant measure. 1t is
interesting to note the play of these
| two elements in the campaign-f1rst
the sentiment and emotion Of the pro-
ponents of the league of nations, and
next, the prosaic and matter-of-fact
demand of the clamorers for a change
of administration on utilitarian
grounds.
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