The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-11-12

ton incurred by leaders to men of inilu-
enee during the campaign. Many OF the /
men who present names viii not be them
selves disappointed if Senator Harding
politely turns them down. But aside |
from those who are really seeking cablnetl
portfolios, there are certain men who are
being sought-not necessarily by Senator
| Harding, but by others close TO him, One
of the men who is being discussed III the
so-called Harding circle of friends nova
| days is Frank A. Munsey, OF New York
who is being talked of for secretary of
commerce Mr.. Muhsey owns the New
York Sun and Herald and has always
| been a staunch opponent OF the league
of nations from the very beginning. The
| Harding, administration viii feel kindly
| toward editors and publishers any way
i but the intimacy between Mr. Nlunsey and
Mr. Harding is not merely that Of q tei-
I low editors. 1t is a fact that Mr. Mum
tepy has been one of the powers behind
tbp. throne throughout the campaign. He
has frequently been in communication
twfth Mr.. Harding and one interesting
story given the writer is that at time
when the anti-league faction IN the Ike
publican party were most appfehenesil,v N,
about the effect upon Mr. Harding OF the
advice rendered by Elihu Root. mes
sage was sent to Mr. Munsey by Senator
/ Harding rCasSuring him about the league
] issue The message left no doubt how
/ Senator Harding stood on the subject OF
! 8h Root
/ To the outside world it may be a sur
/ prise that Senator Harding and former
II Senator Root are not going to be as close
a. the public supposed. There is no rea-
son for anything personal in IT all-slm-
/ MY divergence of view and difference of
/ a1linion. For instance, Senator Harding
believes in exemptng American ships
/ from the payment of Panama Canal tolls,
a matter covered by treaty with Great
Britain, Elihu Root insisted on standing
with President Wilson on that issue ana
/ would hardly he able to reverse himself
1 without considerable embarrassment as
an internatio lawyer. Moreover, Mr..
Root favorS American entrance into the
league with proper reservations Sena-
tor Harding may eventually come to the
1 same position. but for the present he is
disposed to try out the Knox policy of
Keeping America completely detached
from any world organization except one
that gives the United States an ALSO
lutely free hand and without any oblga-
ton, physical or moral.
II Senator Harding feels kindly. toward
the men whose views he shares. but Mr.
II MunSey is one of them, MIR. Knox Is an
other. and William Randolph Hearst is
4 another The part Mr.. Hearst played
in the campaign-his opposition to the
league of natious-was especially pleasing
TO the folks at Marion. 1t is significant
that what one hears at Marion as the
\ reason for not selecting Elihu Root to
the cabfnet-his alleged connection with
II international bankers is exactly what
Mr. Hearst has been saying and still says
i of the former secretary of state. Mr.
Hearst has tolegraphed his various news
papers from Santa Barbara, Calf, clit-
/ iciSm of Will Hays for asking Ellhu
Roots opinion on general policy, and says
il; part: Mr.. Roots opinion stripped
Of the verbiage to make it hard would
appear to be in effect the opinion of Mr..
Wilson and the Wilson party. and Mr..
Root undoubtedly belongs to the Wilson
I party along with Mr.. Lamont. Mr.. Nor
gan and other international bankers.
Why Mr.. Roots ideas should be asked
can public opinion by Mr.. Hays Is mat
ter of much mystery unless. perhaps,
1 there is some sort of connection that the
Il public does not know about between the
incoming Republican administration and
Mr.. Roots employers-the International
Il bankers. If there is such connection.
the public can best learn it by watching
/ the attitude of Mr.. Harding's admins
ttratfon toward Mr.. Root" -< IL
II The Inference may be drawn that Mr..
Il Hearst doesn't believe there is going to
he much connection between Mr.. Root
and the Harding administration and that
he feels sure Of it. Anyway, people att
4 Marion who know Harding'S views talk
about Root in exactly the same phrases
as used by Mr., Hearst.
H All TINS may sound ike premature
strife inside the Republican party The
H fact is the lines of cleavage developed
lduring the campaign and have been known
| to almost everybody on the inside, but it
| is only now that the news of it is coming
lout. The Importance of the fact that
Senator Harding is showing a friendlinesS
towards the policies of Mr.. Hearst and
Mr.. Nunsey, and that these two men win
be more influential in the next admins
tration than any two editors in the
United States have been in the past
Senator Harding cOnscientiOusly believes
i in exempting American ships from Pana-
man Canal tolls. He is steadfastly OPP
posed to foreign entanglements of any
a kind and he is naturally sympathetic
with those who are sympathetic with him.