The evening world., 1920-09-10
LAWRENCE SIZES UP
POLITICAL SITUATION
IN THE NORTHWEST
CONTINUED from FIRST Page)

win the states with the big electoral
votes. Now York'S forty-fve votes
and ohio'a fwenty-four can offset
half Of the entire West.
! or course. nobody who spends n
day or two in any State can hope to
go away cocksure OF that State. but
In nine cnseB out Of ten d sinterest-
cd reporter can draw deductions from
the optimistic or pessimistic tone OF
the rival leaders as we'll as from the
broad-minded men In a community
who nrO not guided by partisansh D.
These men will have been making
analysis OF their own States for
many weeks before the travelling rc-
porter arrives. Sometimes. for local
reasons. the resident newspaper men
do not print nll thut they feel about
their own States. The political way
farer usually agrees not to disclose
the source OF his Information and
thus picks up Invaluable information.
This Va the seusOn OF the year when
many reporters will travel extensively
10 find out how other sections Of
the country are politically inclined,
and. II one has built UP a string OF
friends in every important city from
coast 10 coast and knows the per-
sonal equation OF each man and his
ability In the past to Judge his own
State. tho task Of analysis is bound
10 be reasonably accurate.
Take Minnesota, for instance, both
Democratic and Republican news
paper men wiR confide to you that ils
things look now Senator Harding will
carry the state by good majority.
Tho third party movement failed to
mAterialize and the only question in
dispute among observers is whether
the State will go for Harding by 100000
or, as aone conservatives put thy
25 900.
Anyway no Democrat OF standing
is claiming Minnesota is as close us
it was in 1915 when Wilson almost
won the electoral vote.
The reasons for IIarding's strength
here are quite simple Much Of the
electorate Is scandinavian and Ger
man. The Gernmps are bitter against
Wilson for his war record. They
voted for the "He kept US out OF war;
slogan in 1915 because they wanted TO
be kept out a war with their father
land. They cherish resentment and
will show 1t at the polls.
SCAN DINAVIAN VOTERS I'M
PRESSED BY PEACE DOCTRINE.
The Scandinavians are very much
impressed by pncifist doctrine and
many have been persuaded to believe
the Republican campaign idea that
the League OF Nations means war
instead OF peace. Even though Nor
way and Sweden have Joined the
League, the Scandinavians here are
against the League. Their opposition
has been carefully cultivated by a
Republican press. With only one or
two exceptions, all the influential
newspapers OF minnesota are Repub-
lican and have been feeding the
people Hiram johnson doctrine. Even
those who favor the League take
their stand behind Senator Kellogg.
who voted for the Lodge reservations
and the number who want the League
as brought back by President Wilson
is negligbly small.
This territory is so friendly to Hard
ing that It even draws a distinction
between the managers Of the Republi-
can candidate and the nominee him
self For instance, the writer en-
countered considerable dissatisfaction
here among Republicans with the
course OF the Republican National
Committee in handling the Senatorial
investigation Of campaign funds. II
is matter OF common gossip that
Gov. Cox's figures of a 100000 quota
here were correct, and that the Re-
publican leaders made a big mistake
when they failed to explain II. Here
abouts they don't think 1t is sinful
to contribute 100000 to run a cam
paign, and they would have preferred
an admission OF the quotas coupled
with a demand that Cox prove that
any of the money was used or would
be used for corrupt purposes.
They think, too, that 1t was unwise
to fall into Cox's trap by permitting
the diversion Of the public interest
from the league Issue to a discus
sion of Imaginary quotas, the size of
which Is not as important as the size
of the funds actually raised and the
method of their expenditure.
Minnesota liked Harding and will
give him its twelve electoral votes
next November.
(To-mOrroto'S article t0tH deal
toith the situation in North