The Washington times., 1922-04-01
HOOVER SEEKS (
JOHNSON SEAT.
mus. SENATE
Commerce Secretary Said td
Regard Post as Step To
ward White House.
BY POLTTICUS.

les out of the Senate. washington
was entertained today by the re-
port that Herbert Hoover Is 1lan.
ming to offer himself to the State
of California as a senatorial ran
didate for the purpose OF punish
ing the wicked Hiram johnson Tor
his opposition to the four-powerI
alliance.
A primary fight between Messr..
Hover and johnson would Dc worm
going all the way to California TO
see, especially on the treaty issue.
The versatile Secretary OF Com
merce doubtless would be able to
mobilize in his own behalf all OF,
the New York and London news
papers who supported the Leaeue
Of Nations and tho arms confer
ence scheme, TO say nothing OF the
various 'internationalist" orators,
from Sir Auckland Geddes down to
the weakest Chautauqua spouter
endowed by the Carnegie Peace
Foundation.
Some Doubt Sdll Exists.
There is still considerable doubt
whether Senator johnson will bs
lucky enough to draw Secretary
Hoover as his principal opponent.
The Hoover following 10 pretty
strong in California. and the Sen
atorship Is most alluring. But the
men who are after Johnson's scalp
are apparently in no mood to send
a boy for It, and they are still try;
ing to groom some other Califroni-'
an for the race. At any rate. that 10
the information that comes to
Washington from the Pacific
coast.
Nor IL the Harding Administra-
ton anxious to identify itself
with the fight in California, even
against Senator johnson. The
President has been exceedingly
careful to emphasize that he II not
going to participate In the prt-
mary fighting anywhere. He has
troubles enough Of his own, with
out mourning any extra burdens
Just to add to the intensity OF thS
primary campaigns.
But the pro-treaty forces wouls
like to make a showing against
the Senators who almost upset the
arms conference results. 1t would
not do to let the men who dared
to stand up for America First"
escape unscathed. For these gen.
tlemen, the California arena 10 q
most attractive one. 1t presents
a shining mark. Senator Borah Of
Idaho Is not up for re-electio3
this year. Senator France viii
have q hard fight in Marylank
but neither he nor his State
conspicuous. Senator La For.
lette has his reelection sewed up
80 .tiGht that the 'tnternatieqni.
lists" are not going to mcekey
with the buSz-saw. N | =
Big Battle in Hand.
But Senator Johnson had a big
fight on his hands before the
treaty issue was raised. Cali
fornia Is big State. and the op-
portunities for a real scrap are
most attractive. Besides, Senator
johnson must stick pretty closely
to Washington on account Of his
Senatorial labors-chiefly on the
tariff bill-and that makes him an
easier man to beat than IL he
could meet his challengers. face
to face.
The primaries will como in Au-
gust. leaving four good months for
the fighting. A lot OF things can
happen in the meantime. France,
for instance. can hamstrng the
four-power alliance and the naval
treaties, and thus cripple the "in-
ternationalist" campaign. japan
can keep up her Chinese and ST.
berian aggressions until there II an
explosion In Asia that might make
the four-power alliance Immediate
ly operative and give US q taste Of
what 1t means to be the protector
OF Japanese imperialism.
1t will be a great day in London
and Tokyo when Herbert Hoover is
sworn In as Senator Of the United
States from the State Of California.
His friends think 1t will be the nat
ural stepping stone to the Presiden.
tial nomination in 1928. They are
modest. They might have written
1924. BY that time he should be
certain that he is a Republican and
have ACQUIRED a bona fide residence
in the United States