Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-11-01
ELECTION EFFECT
ON THE PRESIDENT
CAUSING CONCERN
Leaders Fear Adverse Ver-
dict at Polls Would Be
Blow to Executive.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


! Aside from the actual result of
the election perhaps nothing has CIV
| en- greater concern here than the
possible effect upon President Wilson
of an adverse verdict at the polls.
The President has always had un-
bounded confidence in his own judg-
ment of what the American electorate
would do and yet many of his friends
think he will be greatly disappointed
| this time He has had reverses be-
| fore as in 1918. but on nothing that
was as close to his heart as is the
covenant of the league of nations. 1t
/ has been argued convincingly in the
press that the election result will not
have indicated anything conclusive
about the league and will only have
registered the natural reaction of a
people against their war govern
/ ment. something that has happened
throughout Europe. But nobody in
| the inner circle of the administration
has probably paved the way for to-
morrow's defeat. So far as is gen.
orally known, the President has been
continually optimistic about the out
come.
Senate Held Out as Consolation.
Were it not for the frail condition
of the Presidents health, the election
Indeed, there have been rumors that
Mr.. Wilson might feel constrained to
resign the presidency if Cox were de-
feated. On the other hand, the possi-
bility that the Senate might go dem
ocratic has been held out as a con-
mean the re-submission of the peace
treaty at the December session of
Congress in an effort once more to
reach compromise. The new Senate
would not, of course, take office until
after next March, when special ses-
sion would be called, but it is be-
lieved the effect of a democratic VIC
tory in the Senate might mean more
conciliatory mood in the session Of
Congress to be convened next month.
Friends of the league of nations
will not wait until special session
order to push for the, ratification OF
the treaty with proper reservations.
Every vote taken in the Senate has
shown more than two-thirds of the
Senate as favoring ratification of the
treaty and league in some form. 1t
would help the next administration
immensely if the troublesome treaty
question were out of the way when
the new administration came into
power, so that domestic affairs might
be given undivided attention. More
than a year has already been spent
in wrangling over the treaty and
league, while domestic issues like tax
alton have suffered by neglect. The
treaty question may suffer It post
ponad to a special session OF Con-
gress. ...9........- ~ ks-s-at
r. : sees softened Attitude. I
It is considered possible that PresiS
dent Wilson's attitude towardNa COM
been greatly softened by the verdict
at the polls, and that a non-partisan
or bipartisan movement may yet be
started to bring about America
entry into the league during the re-
manning days Of President Wilson's
President, probably. and give him
strength to bear the strain OF his
illness.
The true condition of the Presi-
dent is q matter of conjecture. Few
people know, though there is the
lapse. The best information the
writer has been able to obtain is that
the President has been steadily inn
proving and is much better than he
was six months ago. Nobody can
foresee what the effect of disap-
Mr.. Wilson best are convinced that
his vitality is such that he will be
able to Withstand the blow that is
sure to come. The President does
not read newspapers generally, and
it is stated that he has not been
given any pessimistic reports about
the campaign, SO that very probably
the result will come as a shock to
him.
Rumors From Cox Speech.
AS for the rumors of resignation in
the event of defeat at the polls this
inference is believed to have been
drawn from a recent speech OF Gov.
io1 he iof cd ho no
tirement" of the President from pub
lie affairs. Mr.. Wilson is a firm be-
lever in the theory that the head of a
government should resign when de-
feated. just as in the case with par
liamentary government. but circum-
stances Influenced him in 1918, when
he lost both houses Of Congress, to
ignore European precedent as applied
| to Americas form of government, and
1t is not generally credited that he
OF his administration. On the other
hand, if he believed that by eliminat-
ing his own personality as factor
Vice President Marshall might be able
to negotiate settlement Of the
treaty question with the republican
it is known that Mr.. Marshall doesn't
share the Presidents views on the
league of nations, and it is hardly to
be expected that he would champion
| the cause during the next session of
Congress.
Nobody can predict with accuracy
what might be the outcome of the
! election on the plans of President
Wilson. All Washington is hoping
that he will bear up under the in
evitable verdict at the polls, and that
he will be well enough to remain in
office until the end of his term.
Partisanshfp may disappear with the
election, and after a months inter-
mission the next Congress may come
back in a better mood to take up the
matter of foreign policy and dispose
of it before an avalanche of domes-
tice problems. like the excess profits
| tax. comes down on the next admins
| tration.