Evening star., 1923-10-31
Politics at Large
ny N. o. MESSENGER

tAnS " ttlC whf tuC ~ SchocA
tial nomination Is a subject keenly in
teresting the politicians at this time.
Speculation 10 aroused by the activf-
ties OF some Of his supporters and
ominous rumblings in Johnson circles
The revival Of the Hughes plan for
participation of the United States in
the reparations commission Is said to
have irritated the johnson people. and
the selection of Frank B. Kellogg to
be ambassador to Great Britain is said
to have been displeasing to them on
account of Mr.. Kellogg's record OF
friendliness to a reserved form OF
league Of nations.
They are pushing us too hard" the
Johnson irreooncilables are saying OF
the administrator policy on foreign
affairs. Politicians have thought that
Senator johnson is itching to get into
biding his time for an auspicious op-
portunity and good excuse.
+ X 4 +
The administration. 1t is believed
would not be dismayed should the
senator enter the lists for the nomina-
tion on a platform of opposition to its
policy as to German reparations, be
cause there is no doubt in the minds OF
the Presidents closest friends and ad-
yisers that the preponderant sentimen,
of the country supports the admins
tration's course up to this time. The
same feeling is shared by some OF the
party leaders who have hitherto been
opposed to anything looking like par
ticiDation by the United States IN
European affairs, even to the extent OF
joining the world court.
There could be no objection, one
OF these hard-boiied party leaders
says. Ito carefully guarded asso-
citation with any seemingly effectlye e,l
question. ! believe the people OF
this country would be in favor OF
our doing something to avoid the
crisis in Europe which every observer
who comes from abroad says is por-
tending"
as a contestant for the nomination
it Is expected that others will follow
Gov. Pinchot is quite likely, in the
belief of the politicians, to announce
himself on his platform of prohibi-
ton enforcement, although he is re-
garded as having recently gotten
bit the worse of it in his controversy
over enforcement in Pennsylvania. He
first tackled President Coolidge, try
ing to put the Chief Executive in the
light of being able to do more thar
any one else to enforce the law. and
got his answer indirectly in the
Presidents address to the governor
conference.
Then ne went UP. against a buzz
saw in charging that Secretary Of
the Treasury Mellon was not enforc-
ing to the fun the law in Pennsyl-
vsuis. Secretary Mellon came bach
sharply and pointed out the author
ity vested in the governor by Penn
syIvania statutes for enforcement
which he did not seem to be using tc
the full.
The politicians are watching inter
estedly the scrap between Gov. PIN
chot and Secretary Mellon, on account
of its possible effect on the struggle
for the control of the Pennsylvania
convention, Secretary Mellon seeking
an uninstructed delegation and Gov
Pinchot after delegates instructed fof
him as a "favorite son"
x & .-
Senator Underwood. in his candi-
dacy for the democratic nomination
has run afoul of the Ku Klux klar
in his first essay into the field, in
Texas. They are against him in tina,
state, where they are very powerful
in politics, and will make the SEN
ator's search for delegates in the
Lone Star state an uphill task.
From some of the southern states
come rumblings of dissent from Sen
ator Underwood'S platform of nom.
mating a candidate from the south
because of sectional reasons. Some
Of the southern newspapers are pro
testing that it has been the aim OF
the south to wipe out sectional lines
whereupen Senator Underwood's sup
porterS say that is just what he Is
trying to do-wipe out the objections
raised to him because he is from tho
south.
Berrrman's cartoon the other da.
depicting the "wets" dolefully Ia
menting that Gov. Al Smith is theil
last hope among potential candidates
for the democratic nomination. i.
said by the politicians to have hit the
nail on the head. McAdoo, Under
wood. Bryan and all the rest Of then
are high and dry on the water wagor
and Gov. Smith is the white hope OF
the wets-believed to not have a Chi
naman's chance for the nomination.
= :. < =
The democratic national committee
is getting peeved because President
Coolidge won't say something which
they can take hold of and are assert.
Ing that his silence is irritating The
republicans. The way the committee
puts it, in the statement issued today
is this:
president Coolidge's silence re.
garding governmental problems which
are the subject of discussion ant
ming to irk certain republican poll.
ticians and not few republican
newspapers They are becoming per
suaded that this reticence is being
interpreted by the people as due tt
Mr.. Coolidge's want of initiative al
a time when imagination and aggres.
sivenesS are especially requisite"
Then the statement goes on to de-
pict the republicans as enveloped il
gloom over the Presidents taciturn.
ity and almost in a panic over his
nomination. The republican manage.
ment. however. shows no sign of be.
ing thus shrouded in apprehension
and declares that the President will
speak out in meetin'" when he talks
to Congress.
X * X *
Commenting, upon the situation ir
the Philippines. the republican ma
tiopal committee in statemen,
charges that 1.-The unsettled condi.
tions in the Philippines are another
legacy of the democratic administra-
row Wilson. When the democratic
party took charge in 1913. political
and commercial conditions in the
Philippines were better than they had
been at any time since the United
States assumed charge. Under the