The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-10-14
GOV. SPROUL
MAY SUCCEED
SENATOR KNOX
Has PolOer to Appoint
Self; Harding Is
Obligated.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright, 1921
Especial to The Argus.)

! Washington, Oct. ii. - Governor
J Sproul of Pennsylvania is expected
/ here to succeed the late Philander
: c. Knox as junior senator from
Pennsylvania. Except for the time
, ly Intervention of President Hard
ing, the Pennsylvania governor
would have been candidate in the
primaries next spring. opposing
Mr. Knox for denomination. Only
the influence of the president of
the United States smoothed out a
/, situation III Pennsylvania which for
time threatened party solidarity.
With the death of Mr. Knox the
story can be told for it bears di-
rectly upon the choice of his sue
ceSsor.
Knox Seat Threatened.
Mr.. Knox was happy in the SEN
ate. He wanted to be reelected. He
, had been attorney general under
President Roosevelt and resigned
to enter the senate only to resign
again and become secretary of
state under President Taft. But he
finally found in the senate an op-
portunity to display his legal tai
ents to best advantage and fairly
revelled in the task of picking holes
/ in the Versailles treaty and league
/ covenant He was a dominant in
( fiuence in the famous battalion of
death" which determined that the
United States should never enter
the League of Nations. MIR. Hard
ing would have liked to make Mr.
Knox secretary of state but realized
that he must choose a man who
had not been so conspieuously iden-
tilted with the factional lights in
the senate. Mr. Knox was in i'll
health yet he was considerably an
noyed by reports that his advanced
age was interfering with his pos
sible selection as secretary of state.
After Mr.. Hughes was appointed,
| the Pennsylvania senator, who had
/ not been devoting himself very
much to the fixing of political
fences in his home state, came to
realize that his seat was endan-
gered by the rising influence of
Governor Sproul in Republican
councils. The governor had been
urged to run for the senatorship.
Mr.. Knox told President Harding
the situation. The president in
vited Governor Sproul to the White
house. He didn't specify in ad-
vance what the subject of the con-
ference would be.
President Sends for Sproul.
AS Governor Sproul entered the
executive Offices of the White house
the president stepped forward and
greeted him cordially.
Il want to discuss some matters
with you" the president is quoted
as saying, "and there's a man here
would like to have with u.s."
At this moment Senator Knox
stepped into the room. He had
been waiting for the governors ar
rival. Whatever surprise the sud-
den appearance of Mr.. Knox had
for Governor SprCul was immedi-
ately dispelled as the president put
his arm about the senator's shoul-
ders and according to the story,
said
81 want you to know Governor
Sproul, what strong support | have
had from Senator Knox in the SEN
ate. l have come to be largely de-
pendent upon him and upon his
sound advice l would esteem it
a great loss not only to myself but
to the country if anything should
interfere with his denomination and
reelection next year"
Governor Steps Aside.
1t is said that Governor Sproul
Continued on Page Fift2en.)