Evening star., 1923-12-28
COOLIDGE BAjCKERS
ON TOES IN CHICAGO.
Butler and Good, in Midwest
Headquarters, to Contest
/ Every Bit of Ground.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

CHICAGO, ILL.,. December 2S-Cal-
rin Coolidge's campaign for the re-
publican presidential nomination was
formally opened at Chicago yester-
DAY. National headquarters from
which his friends will wage the Pres
fdent's pre-convention fight were es-
tablished in parlors B2 and B4 ON
the celebrated presidential floor"
or the Congress Hotel overlooking
the wind.swept lake font.
William M. Butler of Massachusetts,
the generalissimQ of the Coolidge
campaign. arrived from Boston early
IN the day and took charge of the
premises TneS had been made ready
1or OCCUPANCY by former Represent
atlE~ James W. Good of Iowa, now a
chicago lawyer, who will be in re-
gional command of the midwestern
states with which he is intimately
familiar.
This noon Mr.. Butler and Mr.. Good
were the guests of honor at a lunch
con given by Fred W. upham, treas
urer of the republican national COM
nlittee. a number of prominent Chi
cago and midwestern republicans
Were in attendance, to wish the
friends have embarked hail and god
speed.
Tho significant feature of the
launching of the Coolidge campaign
here in the heart of the pivotal mid
ale west IS that the Presidents sup
campaign,
They are supremely. confident Of
Ar Coolidge's nomination. but are
taking no chances. They believe the
President's platform, as laid down in
his message to Congress, has given
!tim an incomparably favorable start
in public estimation. They feel that
fhe Coolidge band wagon has got into
motion with 4 splendid momentunl-a
momentum, they think, that will be-
come irresistible as June. 1924, ap-
Droaches. Yet they are proceeding on
he theory that nothing should be
taken for granted, that every inch of
the ground is worth contesting, and
that the battle will not be won until
the convention is over
Establishment of Coolidge national
headquarters at Chicago, the capital
snd metropolis Of the great western
purtsose. The wide regions lying be-
sween the Allegheny mountains and
the Mississippi river, and even farther
west, are looked upon by the Presi-
dents friends as the preconvention
battle ground. There seems to be an
assumption that the Atlantic seaboard,
Including New England and the SOUTH
are pretty safe Coolidge territory.
VIII Advertise Coolidge.
Out here it is realized Coolidge, to
considerable extent. has to be sold
He is little known. Far more is
known of his Puritan taciturnity
than of his qualities of statesman
ship. The problem confronting the
Coolidge campaigners is to depict the
President in what they term his real
colors-to convince the western coun-
try that he measures up fully to the
stern demands of the office and that
Henry FordS advice is the soundest,
namely, to keep good man when
you've got him.
To sell" Calvin Coolidge TO the
of his friends particular efforts. They
are reported to be a little skep-
sfcal about him. They are waiting to
see just what he does in the direc-
tion OF relief for distressed agricul-
Iurs. Expectatt ttons in that direction
ere undoubtedly high. On what the
sixty eighth Congress, under the ad-
ininistration leadership accompnshes
for the wheat farmer and other dis
comfited agriculturists during tine
next few months depends, to an inn
portant degree, the fate of the Cool
tdge preconventfon campaign In this
neck of the national woods.
Eyes on Washington.
Because of that situation, the Cool
idge managers are frankly concerned
ton They are positive that in his
own way the President will leave the
country In no doubt of his anxiety for
notion on Capttol Hill, particularly in