The Winslow mail., 1923-11-30
DEMOCRATS CROW
JUBILANT AGAIN
THINK THE HUGHES COMMISSION
PLAN WILL RENEW STRIFE
AMONG REPUBLICANS.
LATTER SEEM NOT DISTURBED
BY EDWARD 8. CLARK

mostly pepper just no. g, is being sprin-
kled into the mixture Of things which
make up the political prOvender. Lead
ers of the Democratic party who hap
pen to be in Washington are showing
evidences of jubilation over certain
happenings in the ranks Of national
Republicanism. The Republican lead
ers seem undisturbed, but truth COM
pels them to admit that there are some
evidences of a rift which, they add,
soon will disappear.
Not long ago the Democrats seemed
to be somewhat downcaSt over the ap-
parent rehabilitation of the enemy
forces, the signs Of amity and pacific
conditions generally. Now Democ-
racy sees or says that it sees renewal
of strife internal to Republicanism.
All of this has come out of such
things as the recent pronouncement of
Senator Mccormick of Illinois on the
European finance commission plan of
the administration; the announcement
of his friends that Hiram w. Johnson
is about to enter into the campaign
against Calvin Coolidge; and the tales
told by one or two former officials I'm.
der the Harding administration, con-
corning the probabilities in the John
son case.
When the administration received
from abroad word of the probable
agreement to accept the Hughes plan
for the appointment of a financial COM
mission to pass judgment on how much
reparations money Germany can pay,
the Republican politicians who were
opposed to the Harding plan for mem
bership in the World court thought
that the financial commission plan
might offset the court matter and that
the latter would not be pushed in the
senate Therefore they concluded that
so-called irreconcilability in the party
would be no opposition to the finance
commission plan within the party.
Democrats Cheerful Again.
The thoughts Of the leaders seem
ngly did not run entirely right. Some
of the Republicans Of place who have
objected from the first to having any
thing to do with European affairs have
come out in criticism Of the finance
plan. This has been interpreted by
the Democrats here as proving that
The Republicans cannot remain har-
monious on world matters for any
great length of time, and they say that
they see a reopening of the strife
which by general admission was in
progress some time ago within the
party ranks. 4.
From the Republican point of view
the Democrats are showing an unjusti-
fable jubilation. Leading Republicans
hold that the so-called irreconcilabIes
in the party are not in great numbers
opposed to the finance commission
plan as outlined by Mr.. Hughes and
as accepted with reservations by the
allied governments. They point to
Senator Borah, for instance, who once
upon a time was considered more set
against intermingling in foreign af-
fairs than any of his brethren. Sena-
tor Borah has said that he approves of
the finance commission plan, but adds
that he does not think it goes quite far
enough. He thinks it should have
more authority and more power.
Most of the Leaders Approve.
So it seems that there is one so
| called irreconcilable senator saying
| that the path is not being Travelled far
enough or fast enough, while a few
others are saying the path ought not
| to have been entered upon at ALL If
one may judge by appearances, it
would seem, even in the face of such
pronounced opposition to the plan as
voiced by some of the Republicans,
that the majority of the present domi-
nant party leaders is favorable to the
adoption of the Hughes plan and to
using every effort to make it sue
cessful.
The administration and the State
department seem to be standing steady
in the face of such criticism as has
| been made of their plan for finance
commission. There will be nothing
officially American about the commits
| sion. IulS means JudL TIE government
cannot attempt to force reluctant ma
tions to accept the findings. It is an
advisory matter only, and as such it is
entirely out Of the field of strict Off
cialdom. Nevertheless, the State de-
partment keeps hearing from here
there and elsewhere in the country that
the Official action of the United
States is to be commended or con
demned, according to the viewpoint OF
the American who writes his opinion
It is evident that the State depart
ment chieftains are somewhat restivC
under the seeming misapprehension OF
good many American citizens about
the real nature of the proposed com
mission. Time and again explanations
have been made of the real scope OF
the plan, explanations which have in
cluded definite statements that the
commission is to be advisory only, ant
shat in no way is the United States
| ahOIlt TO enter into the field of DOSSibIe