San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-01
HEALTH OF MIR. HARDING
MAY BE A BIG FACTOR II
IN THE NEXT CAMPAIGN
President May Not Run Again as He Believes He
( Will Be Unable to Stand the Rigors of Another
+ Race for the Presidency and Mrs. Harding's
Health Is Also to Be Considered.

recovery from his present illness and
if the spring should find him none
too strong, there is slight doubt but
that he would ask to be relieved of
the burden of a second campaign.
There is Mrs. HGrding's health to be
considered as well as the Presidents.
She was so much part of his origi-
nal fight for the presidency that Mr..
Harding's friends cannot picture him
! in the forthcoming campaign without
the duchess as he calls Mrs. Hard
ing, constantly at his side.
Aside from all political considera-
tons, there are therefore two personal
| factors in the decision that lies be-
| fore the President before the nomina-
ton conventions assemble next June,
possibly before the state primaries be-
gin next March. One of these is the
Presidents own state of health, the
other is the health of the first lady
of the land.
IL it be true. therefore, that even
under the most favorable physical con-
ditions, the President has looked for
ward to a second campaign with more
or less reluctance, it is felt here that
the illness, through which he is pass
ing, may prove the deciding factor.
Always a Party Man.
r In considering the Presidents fu-
ture course of action it must be borne
in mind always that. he is a strict
party man. He believes the individual
at all times should subordinate him
self to the party, should sacrifice his
own ambitions if these ambitions seem
to stand in the way of party welfare.
If the President should feel that doubt
in the public mind as TO his ability
to lead the party vigorously in the
4 campaign was Strengthening the oppo-
: sition 10 the party, he would readily
a step aside.
t The political lines are being drawn
!, earlier this year than ever before.
a There is political activit. in every sec
0 ton of the country. Senator Oscar
Z Cnderwood's old straw bonnet has been
:, tossed into a ring already strutted
x with O plethora of variegated head
!, gear. The battle lines are forming.
y There has been but the slightest sug-
gestionl of a truce on account OF
a the Presidents illness. The inner
= works Of the grand old party have
been virtually in a state of siege for
: several months past.
= Similar to Wilson Trip.
oI With political considerations thrust
= themselves forward in the wake OF
the apparently successful passing of
the crisis in the Presidents illness,
observers in Washington today were
drawing further analogics between the
Harding and Wilson trips to the
West. These analogies were called out
first by the fatal automobile wreck
in Denver in which two newspaper
men connected with the Harding par
ty were among those killed. There
was a somewhat similar wreck on the
Wilson tour at Portland. Ore, when
two men were killed and two others
seriously injured.
Next came the incident of a few
days ago when the transport Hen
derson on which the President was
travelling, nearly rammed a torpedo
boat destroyer. 1t was recalled here
that when President Wilson was leay-
ing the dock 1T Seattle in 1919 TO 90
aboard the old battleship Oregon to
review the Pacific fleet, his launch
was in collision with another small
craft, and bad spill in the cold wa.
tiers of the deep harbor was narrowly
averted.
On top Of all this came the news
of the Presidents illness at San Fran
cisco, made critical by his persistence
IN carrying out engagements at Van
couver and Seattle against the advice
OF his physicians. Mr.. Wilson. first
showing symptoms Of decline at Seat
tie continued on biS, sneoi;no tour
for nearly nine days. abandoning Il
at last at Wichita. Kan. and being
rushed back to Washington. Mr.. VIII