The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-02
RADICALS APPEAR ID HAVE RETIRED
Surface Evidence Seems To Be That Effective Trading
 Under Own Power
WASHINGTON BUREAU l
 THE AGE-HERALD

The retirement of Representative
 Graham of Illinois from the race for the leadership of the republican ma
 Jority of the House makes it certain
 that Representative Longworth of s Ohio will realize an ambition which . he has nurtured for many years.
 Graham declared that he retired
 because the "Old Guard" had guaraf- teed that majority of the members of the steering committee would be friendly to the agricultural interests. In view of the fact that he was de- stined to be defeated, the indications arc that ne was glad to retire. The problem of organization. how
 ever, has not been solved. While the
 radical bloc will attempt to force the "Old Guard" to surrender part of
 it's death grip on vital committees, and may succeed in delaying the
 election of a speaker. in the end. the "Old Guard' will prevail.
 Radicals Can Prevent Election.
 The radical group is composed of
 more members than would be re- ss quired to constitute the balance of z power between the "old Guard and es the democrats. The law requires f that speaker must be chosen by a < majority vote. As no democrat s would vote for the candidate of the k "Od Guard" the radicals could pre- x vent any candidate receiving a ma f JOTlty vote.
 E Already the radicals have nomi- { mated Representative Cooper of Wis z consin. It is not conceivable, how [ ever, that Mir. Cooper can be elected; Sand it is not conceivable that Repre- sg sentative Garrett of Tennessee, the ' democratic candidate, can be elected < The indications are that tSe "Old
 Guard" will eventually satisfy, in part, the radicals, and proceed with a the election of Representative Gillett 2 of Massachusetts.
 As result of the situation, how x ever. there will be many sore hearts F among the radicals, and it is antici- Y pated, and by the radicals predicted,
 that before the session is completed |. the "Old Guard" will dearly pay for f any victory it might by strategy
 achieve.
 < Cummins Holds To Presidency. \ The "Old Guard" in the Senate has
 way of saying little and doing much in a facile and expeditions manner. At present. Senator Cum mins of Iowa is determined to hold < tho presidency of the Senate. The 1. "Old Guard" however, is unwilling ! that Cummins resign the chairman $ ship of the committee on commerce, Z because next in Nine of succession is { Senator LaFollette, the radical Of . radicals with an 'ingrowing" opin- a ion that the railroads must pc IS- 2 formed from the ground up. ! In view of the stand of Cummins 2 respecting the presidency of the ; Senate. the "Old Guard 1t is pres 2 ently indicated, will permit him to
 serve both as pr esiding officer and < chairman Of the committee regarded
 by many as the key committee of < the next session of Congress. It IS
 a matter of intense dispute that < Cummins can hold both positions. 1T \ he gets away with his scheme, now 5 ever, he will be the most powerful 8 member of the Senate. and will com 2 pletely disjoint the nose of senator E Lodge, leader. as well as senator x Curtis, whip"
 2 Certain suggestions of a compro- mise have been heard. One would ! give the presidency of the Senate to q Senator Moses of New Hampshire,
 dark horse" candidate. Another
 would give the chairmanship or the
 commerce committee to Senator
 smith of South Carolina, democrat;
 Neither suggestion, however, Will ! prove acceptable, 1t is understood Garrett And Robinson Leaders.
 The democrats will proceed quiet
 lv with their part of organization:
 Mir. Garrett will be elected leader or
 the House minority. and senator 2 Robinson of Arkansas will succeed
 Senator Underwood of Alabama as minority leader of the senate.
 The situation Is pregnant or most
 signiffcant probabilities. The repuD-
 iican camp Is characterized by intense L