Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-28
LEADERSST|RRED
BY APPARENT RIFT
ON LEAGUE STAND
Politicians Speculate on Dit-
ferences Between PreSi-
dent and Cox.
BY n. O. MESSENGER.

NEW YORK, October 2S.-Poitical
leaders in both camps are deeply
stirred over the apparent rift between
President Wilson and Gov. Cox on the
league of nations, and are specializing
as to what effect it Will have upon the
campaign. Democratic leaders are try
ing to show that there is not In fact
any essential difference between the
President and the candidate, notw1th-
standing Gov. Cox's declaration at
Huntington, w. Va, that he would
accept most any kind of reservations.
Republicans cannot see it that way,
however, and insist that the President
in demanding retention of article X
rebuked the candidate for his pro-
fessed willingness to capitulate to the
: reservations
The most generally accepted view of
the incident here is that the President
is trying to win the Senate for the
democrats and for the league. and that
Gov. Cox is intent upon winning the
presidency for himself and let the
league take its chances afterward.
Nature Of yindication.
It Is readily understood that if the
democrats capture the Senate and
be in the nature of vindication of the
President, for the Senate would have
been won mainly on the league issue.
And yet what would it all amount
to when one stops to consider the
complexion of the Senate on the
league as shown by the votes last
session and realizes that 1t would be
impossible to muster a two-thirds
vote for the league with article x re-
tained, even with the changes which
this election makes in the Senate.
Many politicians here doubt wheth-
er the seeming difference between the
President and Gov. Cox will have any
appreciable effect on the voting, as
they think the country is pretty well
"set" and ready for a vote.
The only eleventh-hour change In
the outlook which the political lead
ers see now is a drift of the Irish
back to the democratic party. There
is especially noted in New England
and in New Jersey. 1t is due to
number Of causes, partly religious,
and in no small degree to Gov. Cox's
spirited drive for the Irish vote.
Belongs to Democrats.
But, as one party leader pointed out,
the Irish vote belongs to the demo-
icans are only losing what was to
them classed as velvet" as the Irish
return. Their coming back will re-
duce the republican pluralities. it is
argued. but not endanger the elec-
toral vote.
That claim may hold good in New
England, New York and New Jersey,
where the expected republican plu-
rality is figured to be so smashingly
,SFgs sots but !. hSw c,s.s asest e.. yasss %
In point Of fAst. the democrats think
that this returning Irish vote may
be just the thing to tip the scales
their way in Indiana and give them
the state.
We get no news here from credible
sources that the democrats can cap
ture Ohio. All the Information, check
ed and double checked, which comes
outside of strictly partisan channels
concurs in the statement that Hard
ing will carry Ohio by more than q
hundred thousand. Some of the best
posted democratic leaders realize that
it is but forlorn hope in Ohio. and
without the Buckeye state in the
democratic column they see no pros
pect of carrying the presidency.
Things Breaking Badly.
OF course, it would take more than
Ohio to enable them to win, but they
figure that the same influences which
would bring a change in Ohio would
operate in some other states. and they
could possibly pick up few states
here and there.
There is no denying that things
have been breaking badly for the
republicans for ten days They have
had a steady run of ill luck ever
since the Des Moines speech. But 1t
would require more than bad luck
to upset the republican prospects in
the nation at large. 1t would neces-
state political cataclysm.
Are the republicans panicky. or
losing their nerve? Not a bit. They
are as steady as a church tower and
letting the storm rage about them
nnmoved- While democratic national
headquarters is feverishly working night
and day. republican headquarters is cas-
ing up, regarding the campaign as al
ready won.