The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-09-19
HARDING'S CHOICE
SHREWD POLITICS
Selection of Lodge and I'm
derWOOd Takes Sen
ate Leaders
MAY GET MORE
SATISFACTORY MEN
Watson WiH Try Republican Leader
ship and Hitchcock Democratic
Some Speculation Over Presidents
By DAVID LAWRENCE
Especial Dispatch to The Rcformerl

By DAVID LAWRENCE
| Especial Dispatch to The Reformerl
... Copyright 1921
| WASHINGTON. Sept 19.-Presdent
| Harding selection OF Senators Lodge
and Underwood as American commits
| toners to the armament conference in
November has stirred up more ferment
| Inside both the Democratic and Repub-
iean parties than anything since inaug
! nretion dar. For it means a complete
1 reorganization of both parties i'll con
/ gress 1t is being called the shrewdest
\ political move in years, With one fell
s,voop, Mr. Harding has embarrassed
the Democrats ana delighted certain.
l Republicans. .a-a&
/ several Democrats are still hoping
Senator Underwood viii decline TO ac-
! cept. They feel that nobody III congress
! i better qualified than Oscar Under
wood to lead the fight against the tariff
and tax bills framed by the Republl
/ cans. By training and experience, MIR.
/ Underwood is fitted to conduct the min
! ority fight.
! Speculation Over Hardins's Intent
Nobody knows what went on in Mr..
| HaTdings mind when he subtracted Os-
| ear Underwood from the Democratic
! the armament conference commission.
Il The Democratic politicians say he must
4 have known he would be weakening his
| opponents. They admit he has Il right
4 to do that. On the other hand, IresI-
II dent Harding and Senator Underwood
are old friends. They were intimate in
II the senate Mr.. Harding respects and
n admires the Alabama senator and, en-
Il tirely aside from fitness from the post,
A MIR. Harding would feel more like be-
| slowing the honor and prestige of an
II American commissioner to such an inn
Il portant international conference on Os-
II car Underwood than any other Demo
Il crat. 1t Is unlikely tmaJ Mr. Harding
/ wanted to CmEaYass the Democrats,
| though to be sure that Is the effect of
| Ms action.
I'm all likelihood Sena>or Underwood
VIII accept the place. He has already
| been quoted as saying the Democratic
| and Republican party lines should dis
appear on international questions. 1t
| IS an index of his desire 10 play ball -
with the Republicans on foreign policy,
! Having the personal confidence and
| trust of the President and secretary Of
| state, Mr.. Underwood viii not be a
! minority commissioner. He Will know
all that his colleagues know.
As for the situation in the senate,
the fight against Republican tax and
ar.H measures will have to be led by
Senators Hitchcock of Nebraska. Sim
mons of North Carolina and Harrison
Of Mississippi
G. O. p. in Worse Troubie
But if the Democrats are in trouble
it Is not a circumstance to what is be
ing said inside the Republican party.
The statement Is made by some scna-
tors that the President is really get
ting rid OF Lodge -. 1t is insisted that
Republican leadership in the senate has
been far from satisfactory to the White
House and that graceful opportunity
to rcorganize the Republican leadership
VIII lac welcomed Again, nobody will
ever know what actuated MIR. Harding
to appoint Mr.. Lodge to the armament
commission instead of Senator Knox
for instance, who was former secrc-
taTy of state and actually dealt with
foreign Governments before. Mr.. Knox,
700, paid particular attention to Far
Eastern questions when he was secrc-l
tarv of state.
Il is pointed out that if the President
had felt entire confidence in The Lodge
leadership, he would have chosen Sena-t
tor Knox to represent the Republican
rarity IN the senatC-the man who has
boon the guiding force in Republican !
councils on foreign affairs for the last
two years. and MIR. Harding could then
have announced that, owing to the IL
DoTtancc of retaining Senator Lodge in |
his place as majority leader. it was nee !
G
Senator kpON was cmincntlv qualified /
for the rosition. The logic Of the situa /
ito" pointed to Knox rather than
lodge. That : why the gossip about the !
leadership question has acquired good /
deal at momentum.
Watson to Take the Reins
While Mr.. Lodge is absorbed in the
duties of commissioner to the arma-
Eent cnrf"rcnco, Senator James Wat
SON of Indiana viii try his hand at the
LEADERSHIP game. Put there is no GER
taintv that ne viii he permanently att
thr head of the party forces. If he
makes good. he will run things for the
President If he fails the administra
tiou win he compelled to shift about
aapin. The expectation is that Senator
I.odoe viii be concentrating on the
work of the armament conference,
which ma last three to six months.
That win he a lone enough interval for
Republican leadership to find itself.
CAPT. HOBBY FEARED THE SEA.