The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-07-12
CALF ORN|A PUT
IN DOUBTFUL LIST
South End of State Divided
from North On Lc"c
of Nations Issue
HOOVER WON IN
SOUTH SECTION
johnson, Anti-Leaguer, Holds Strength
In North End - Clear Cut State
ment Desired from Both Cox and
Harding-Wet Issue Strong. 81

ment Desired from Both Cox and
Harding-Wet Issue Strong.
Bv DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Despatch to The Reformer
Copyright 1920
LOS ANGELES, July 12.-History
llas an annoying way of repeating 1T
self, especially in politics. And # Sen
ator Harding ism t wary and Governor
Cox alertly scoops" his rival pub
Usher on the situation in southern CALI
fornia, the eastern world may be tense |
" hanging over telegraph tickers again
on election night and watching the re-
turns from Los Angeles county tosteI |
whether California has gone Republic |
can or Democratic.
For while eastern Republicans may
profess Joy over Senator Johnson s dec |
-laration that he viii support the Re-
publican ticket, they do not know as
vet what the joker is in that state
ment The truth is Senator Johnson1
confidently expects Senator Harding to1
interpret the Republican platform
reputation of the treaty. Of Versailles
league of nations, and if the Republic
can candidate agrees with johnson or
if the California senator acts as
spokesman out here for Harding on the
league of nations issue, the Republican
managers back East may just as we'll
put California in the doubtful column.
1t must not be forgotten that Los
Angeles county is ordinarily Republl-
can but that in the recent Hoover
johnson primaries, the former food adj
ministrator carried the southern section
| of the state with campaign in favor
Eof the league of nations. Mr.. Hoover s
recent announcement supporting the
candidacy of Senator Harding with
statement interpreting the Republl-
can platform as looking toward the
ratification of the peace treaty ana
covenant of the league with reserva-
lions helped to draw Republicans to-
ward Harding, but they are wonder.
| ing now whether the Interpretation OF
| Hoover or johnson is a reflection of the
views and intentions Of the Republican
| candidate for the presidency.
They don't hesitate a moment here
to vote the Democratic ticket if it APP
1 pears that a Progressive heads that
| ticket or if the moral side of a trans.
ceudant issue is with the Democrats.
| The women of California helped to turn
the last election and they will figure
| largely in this contest, and such votes
| as they didn't turn were diverted by
Hiram johnson 3 known lack of inter
! est in the success of the Republican
presidential nominee.
Now johnson has big following es-
peciallv in northern California and he
| has but to issue a statement recording,
as he did the other day, his support of
| the ticket and then if the candidate
| doesn t express similar views IN
| speeches the people who follow john
| son know what to do when election day
comes around Yet if Senator Harding
| were to follow johnson and come out
| against the league of nations, which to-
day embraces the principal nations
with the exception of the United
States, Turkey and Russia, he would
| ALLEVIATE the people in southern Call-
fornia, who are strong for league
! such as is already in existence, and who
no not favor a new gathering at some
| distant date as some persons have in
terpreted the meaning of the Repub-
lean plank.
Unduestionably, if northern Cali
| fornia. where the Irish voters in San
Francisco and that vicinity have been
persuaded to believe that the league
somehow retards Irish freedom, Sena-
tor Harding's approval of the beliefs
Of Hiram Johnson would be welcomed
with Joy, but should Senator Harding
| cater to some currents of thought IN
northern California, which have been
stirred up by Senator Johnson, he viii
run the risk of losing the pro-league
vote in all parts of the state, including
the north. a@&MI
People here are watching Governor
Cox, too. They have heard that he IS
lukewarm on the league of nations,
they suspect that his friendship for
! the idea is perfunctory obedience to
platform dictated by Wilson Having
been nominated by Tammany and
other Democratic organizations known
to obtain large proportions of Irish
voters opposed to the league, there is
considerable doubt here as to what viii
be -Cox's real attitude. OF course,
northern California is wet and is al
ready inclined to Cox for that reason.
IL the Ohio governor makes campaign
4 which leaves the broad Inference that
ne is for the wet side of the argument,
Il lfae NAV recruit voters in the northern
\ Esertion of the state irrespective of his
views on the league of nations. But
III Harding or Cox wishes to make sure
! of southern California, which can easily
be the pivotal factor in winning the
states electoral vote and possibly the
whole election, a clear-cut statement
of the league issue would clarity mat
ters considerably.
And if Senator Harding doesn t in
terpret the Republican platform, he
NAV rest assured Hiram Johnson viii
do it for him in just statement as
he has already issued. A few more such
Il recommendations and Harding NAV wei