The Washington herald., 1922-03-28
President Has Decided to
"Make No Campaign"
Speeches.
PREFERS TO AVOID
BITTER CONTESTS
Battles Loom in Ohio,
Indiana and
Wisconsin.
BY ROBERT J. BENDER.


President Harding has lookde
over the advance scenes of some of
the more bitter forthcoming Sem
atorial campaigns-and has decided
dehnitely to stay out of all of them
While he plans to be in some of
the most hotly contested States be-
tween now and election day-in-
cluding Indiana. Ohio. possibly
Massachusetts and, he hopes, Cali
fornia-he has informed his advisors
tina the will make no campaign
speeches"
Even in Ohio where Mr.. Harding
Is faced with the likelihood of hav-
ing Senator Pomerene, a Democrat,
returned from his own State, with
the possibility of this being con-
strued as a reputation of the ad-
ministration, he intends to keep
hands on. He plans to make
speech In Ohio this spring and hopes
to motor out to his home in Maron
for day or so-but no politics, he
has decided.
What with the wet" and "d-y"
ssue looming as tine dominant one
in the Ohio gubernatorial race. and
with some four or five aspirants for
the Republican nomination to con-
test Pomerene's seat in the Senate,
the fight doesn't look enticing to
the President.
The same is true in Indiana,
where some of his friends have
urged that he manifest some open
support of Senator News candidacy
for denomination in the May p=im-
aries as against former Senator
Albert Bevertdge. President Hard
ing positively will not mix up in
1ndiana's primary squabble despite
the fact that New is one of his
most Intimate personal friends and
Mrs. New is a constant companion
of MS. Harding.
Decision May Please Foes.
The decision of Mr.. Harding,
to stay out Of the elections will be
reeeiyedl with mixed emotions by
different candidates. Thre is no
doubt that Senator's LaFolIette ana
johnson will appreciate his silence.
Both of these Senators have been
bitter. opponents of the arms con-
ference treaties.
While johnson, according to re-
liable information received from
west coast leaders, will be returned
to the Senate by a somewhat less
majority than Ne has polIed in the
past, LaFollette has a fight on his
hands in Wisconsin. His lieuten-
ants are not over-confident of the
outcome and were Mr.. Harding to
say a word. similar to that uttered
by Mr.. Wilson in the senatorial
campaigns which marked the re-
tirement of Senators Vardaman in
Mississippi and Hardwick in Geor-
gia, because their attitude was "our
Of sympathy with the adminisrra-
tion,' LaFollette's, IL not Johnson's
lot would be even more difficult
Crisis In Pennsylvania.
On the other hand, in two states,
Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.
absence of Mr.. Harding's aid may
upset the situation. Since the death
of Senator Penrose, Pennsylvania
politics have run riot In addition
to some five candidates for the Re-
publican nomination for governor,
there seems to be no Strengthening
out of the senatorial tangle crea-
ted by the illness of Senator Crow.
Penrose left no lieutenant to take
his machine and run it after his
death. AS result Republican
politics in Pennsylvania have reach
ed a point where some highly saw
VI 'bOi iSS "iS SOAhb NhS anu
rumors of financial deals involving
the senatorial seats. both of which
are subject to popular vote this fall
are disturbing the administration
leaders here. There is no indica-
tion. however that Mr.. Harding will
help lead the Pennsylvania Repub-
lican machine out of the wilderness.
In Massachusetts,, Senator Lodge,
the last of the pillars of the Re
publican party in the Senate,'i Is
having his troubles. Here again,
however, Mr.. Harding is going to
leave the campaign to the national
organization and keep hands-off,
himself. Because Lodge is mt popu-
lar with many his own conreres in
the Senate and because there has
been at least one movement, taken
very high up in the Republican
party councils, to remove him from
leadership in the Senate, it is a
fact that enthusiastic support for
Lodge under ordinary circumstan-
ces might be lacking.
Because his defeat, however,
would carry a national significance
beyond the outcome of any other
of the forthcoming contests, there
is no doubt that the Republican or
ganization will carry on" behind
Lodge with everything possible, ex-
cepting President Harding person.