The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-12-20
BOTH PARTIES
HERALD FORD
AS SANTA
Political Leaders Say Auto
Kings Announcement Has
Cleared Atmosphere.
By GEORGE r. HOLMES.
International News Service.

international News Service.
Henry Ford has played Santa
Claus to the political factions and
leaders of all parties by his Sun
qualified Endorsement of President
Coolidge for nomination and cleo
ton in 1924. according to expires.
sions of opinion heard on every
side around the Capital today in the
wake of the Detroiter's special an.
nouncement.
Diligent search into the highways
and byways of both Republican and
Democratic parties failed to disclose
anyone who did not profess "satis.
faction" with the Ford announce
ment. The agreement was general
in every quarter that Ford's an
nouncement has magically cleared
the muddied political waters and in.
sured 1924 campaign fought out
on straight old-party, lines.
Coolidge Faction JubiIant.
Friends of President Coolidge were
iubtlant. They pointed out that
Ford's announcement not only re-
moves a possible opponent for the
Republican nomination, but that il
also will have powerful effect in
throwing the so-called "Ford fol
lowing" into the Coolidge ranks.
Prominent Democrats accepted
the Ford Drono,lncenent with cru
Tiinnitv, and declared that with the
''F-ord threat" now removed from
party plans. they can go ahead
confident that "a real Democrat
wfll hear the standard In 1924. The
Democrats were quick, too, to DENY
that Ford can deliver any votes
20 President Coolidge. Senator Kline
| fDemD OF Utah. declared Ford's an
noi1ncement would NOT "affnct 10 00C
votes" Senator Heflin DENY 81
| Alabama. said "Ford as a candidate
would he 10000 times more power
fu1 than he will be In trying tt
put some one else over"
johnson Backers Satisfied.
Backers of Senator Hiram John
son, the only avowed opponent o.
President Coolidge for the nomina
lion. pFufessed to be entirely salts
fled with the new alignment, as die
the California Senator himself. They
declared that Ford's strength wa:
located principally in the West anC
| South, and that he cannot transfer
this strength to President Coolidge
Consequently, they claimed, great
deal of the agricultural and pro
gressive"1 vote of the West, which
Ford could have commanded fol-
his own candidacy, will now become
! the heritage of Senator Johnson.
The supporters of Senator Robert
M. La Palette Rep) of Wisconsin
made claims similar to those of the
Johnsopites. With Ford out of the
way. they declared, the insurgent
Wisconsin Senator can go into the
Northwest, where political discon
tent is most pronounced, and
capitalize it to the utmost They
predicted that La Toilette can show
up at Cleveland next June with a
least four States Gin his pocket" 4
he chooses-Wisconsin, Minnesota
North Dakota and Montana.
McAdoO Followers Pleased.
The exuberance expressed by tn,
McAdoo following was second only
to that of the Coolidge camp. TIL,
McAdoO managers privately de
clared that by removing himsel
from all Democratic consideration
Ford has removed also the onl,
real contender the former Secretary
of the Treasury had for bhe Demo
cratic nomination. They claimed
that the principal Democratic senti
ment for Ford existed in the Soutl
and In the West, and that thi
sentiment will now have nowher
else to go but to- McAdoO.
s! This takes the wraps off en-
tirely so far as McAdoo is con
cerned," said a Democratic Senator
who is closely identified with tn
McAdoo campaign. From now o,
we can go into every State Will
a clear conscience and no fears O
stepping on anyone's toes"
Relief Appears Genuine.
The signs of relief that went III
in both Republican and Democratic
headquarters today had every ap
pearance OF genuiness. The so
called Ford menace" has hung like
an ominous cloud over the delibera
! tions of both Republican and Demo
cratic managers, for they frankly
confessed they did not know where
he stood, or what he would do
Had he decided to run on eithe,
ticket, or as an independent, h,
would nave created chaos, they ad
mitted.
Now that he has declared himself
and they know where he stands
the regular, normal business o.
preparing for a regular, norma
campaign can go toward with NJ
hobbies attached.
Thus it was today that by ever,
political faction in both narties
Henry Ford was being heralded as
| Santa Claus.