The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-10-14


Knox In White House Conference.
f. -r By DAVID LAWRENCE.
fSneciaI Despatch to The Reformerl
Copyright 1921.
WASHINGTON, Oct. l4.-GoVernor
SprouI of Pennsylvania is expected mere
to succeed the late Philander e. Knox as
Junior senator from Pennsylvania. Elk
cebt for the timely intervention of Pres
ident Harding. the Pennsylvania governor
would have been a candidate in the pri-
maries next spring opposing MIR. Knox
for denomination. Only the influence OF
tha president of the United states
smoothed out a situation IN fehhsyl-
yania which fer Il time threatened party
solidarity. With the death of Mr.. Knox
the story can be told for it bears directly
npnn the choice Of his successor.
Mr.. Knox was happy in the senate. lie |
wanted to be reelected. He had been at
torney general under President Roosevelt
and resigned to enter the senate ohlytto
resign again and become secretary OF
state under President Taft But he Il
nally found in the senate an opportunity
to display his legal talent to best advah-
tage and fairly revealed in the task OF
picking holes in the Versailles treaty
and league covenant. He was d9ihl
nant influence in the famous "Bauahoh
of Death which determined that the
! United States should never enter the
/ loo one of nations Mr.. Harding would
| have liked to make Mr.. Knox secretary
f, of state but realized that he must choose
a man who had not been so eenSple!ou tio
/ identified with the fractional fights IN the
/ senate. MIR. Knox was in ili-heaith yet
Was considerably annoyed by reports
that his advanced age vas interfering
with his possible selection as secretary OF
! state After Mr.. Hughes was appointed.
In 10
heeu devoting himself very much to the
fixing of politieal fences in his home
state came to realize that his seat was
endangered by the rising influence oi
Governor SprOul in Republican councils
The governor had been urged to run fol
the senatorship. Mr.. Knox told Presi
dent Harding the situation. The Presi
dent invited Governor Spreul to tht
White House He did not specify IN ad
vance what the subject of the conference
: would be. g.
: President Surprised Spr0ul
+: As Governor SprouI entered the execu
/. tive offices of the White House, the Pres
!: ident stepped forward and greeted ban
!. cordially.
/: Il want to discuss some matters Will
(: 1set7.P the President Is qH0ted as saying.
1 and there is q man here whom j wdult
/: like to have with US" At this moment
/ | Senator knaX stepped into the room Ii
!: rival Whatever surprise the sudden az
i pearance of Mr.. Knox had for Governo
I SDro4lf was Immediately diSpelled as til
] President put his arm about the senator
5 shoulders and, according to the story
|: said:
I: L want you to know. Governo
4: Sproul. what strong support | have ha
4: from Senator Knox in the senate.
\: have come to be largely dependent upo
/: him and upon his sound advice. | woHl
I: esteem it a great loss not only to mysel
I: but to the country if anything should il
+: terfere with his denomination and r.
3 election next year
i 1t is said that Governor SprOul smile
- most affably and assured the Presiden
/: that he knew of nothing political tina
= would prevent the denomination of Nj
\: Knox He told the President that Sens
4: tor Knox would have his full suppor
/: Not long afterward the President weT
Il: to Valley Forge, the home of Senate
H: Knox and spent weekend, Governo
IA SprOuI, Senator Penr0se and other
4: prominent in Pennsylvania affairs. cam
II: to call on Mr.. Harding, Shortly aftel
Il: ward Mr. Knox told his friends here tha
Ii the situation had been Strengthened OF
+: and that he was assured of denomination
Il So he went to Europe for couple {
/: months and had just returned to Wasl
4: mgt0n this week.
/: Must Stay With Sproul
/: The significance of the foregoing stor
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