The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1920-01-06
UNDERWOOD LIKELY
TO WIN LEADERSHIP
c,,ppoRTERS OF ALBANIAN
coNrIDENT HE WILL GET HON.
I'D RRYAN'S PLAN FAILS.

WASHINGTON u o.-ouppor.
Of Senator Oscar w. Underwood,
- Alabama, for the leadership of the
Iomocrats of the senate to succeed
~ late Senator Thomas S. Martin,
of Virginia, remain confident that the
obIp and popular Albanian will be
solpcted at the party caucus which
hoe been set for Jan. Is next. The
Rrvan visit does not seem to have
hurt him seriously.
There was furry among the Under
ood men when Senator Hitchcock,
Of Nebraska, who has been acting as
Ioodor since Senator Martin became
IL called the caucus Dec. 20, just af-
ter having received the blessing, as
= ,ynre. of the Hon. William J. Bryan.
With the Bryan influence thrown to
Hitchcock against Underwood, and
with the Underwood strength known
n he less than it will be after Secre-
tarv of the Treasury Glass takes his
seat in January as successor to Sena-
tor Martin, the time fixed for the
caucus by Mr.. Hitchcock was pecu-
liarlv favorable to the Nebraskan.
Rut Senator Underwood and his
friends protested against what they
regarded as savoring of "snap" &C
tion. and Senator Hitchcock withdrew
tbe early caucus call and substituted
the mid-January date. Since that was
done il does not appear that the
Hitchcock candidacy has made any
more Roadway, and it is possible that
Mr. Bryan's visit to Washington to
show how to solve the muddle over
the peace treaty and league pact and
belp relieve the president of embar-
rassment" in the premises will make
little if any change in the senate line
nm for the democratic leadership. By
no means all the senators who were
invited to the Bryan-Hitchcock dinner
attended that significant feast.
Where Hitchcock Failed.
As time goes by there is a tenden-
CIV to modify the opinion widely eX-
pressed among democrats that In view
of the presidents uncompromislng
attitude as to the league pact 1t was
not possible for any leader to do
more than Senator Hitchcock did with
the senate situation.
It is desirable that senate leaders
of a party shall in general act IN mar
monv with the president when the
latter is of the same party allegiance.
Nevertheless, there are times When
congressional leadership, if it is OF
big enough caliber, will act according
to its own best lights and Judgment
to get the best possible results TOT
all concerned, whether the president
gives his formal approval or NOT
There were about 80 votes IN the
senate for the league of peace with
reservation. These votes are there
vet. If they are marshaled and USED
directly to put the league through,
with reservations, they will accom-
plish that result, and there will be
peace and a modified league. Many
who compare the Hitchcock and IN
derwood methods, particularly in the
light of the published utterances OF
the two senators since the fiasco OF
the extra session, are making the
point that a leader like Underwood
is likely to get the 80 votes together
on the best possible proposition, While
a leader like Hitchcock may never
get them together at all.
Boldness Sometimes Necessary.
A man we'll acquainted with men
and measures in Washington, and not
a Virginian, either, or an Albanian,
said today IN private conversation
over the treaty situation that in his
opinion a leader of the Martin or I'm
derwood type would have the neces-
sary boldness to do the one obviously
feasible thing, whether the president
openly acquisced or not.
What would the late Senator Mar
tin have done with the problem that
developed at the close of the recent
special session." asked the veteran
observer. "Why, he would have done
this: he would have told the president
positively that the pact could not be
put through without reservations and
if the president had remained I'M
willing to accede to policy of accept
ing the irreducible minimum man
like Martin would have gone back to
the senate and put the pact through
in just that shape, all the same,
whether the president liked it or not.
Then the president would have taken
the document in that condition, or
would have had to take the blame for
denying the world any relief what
ever because he couldn't give it all
the relief ne desired. Mr.. Underwood
has made it plain that he believes in
going ahead along that one practical,
single-track line.
Tickling the President.
'The Hitchcock leadership has been
too timid. 1t has been tickling the