The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-05
PROGRESS|VES AND
 CONSE ERvAT|VES TO ENTER B|G FIGHT
Leaders Had Hoped To Save Open Split By Renomina-
 ton Of President
COOLIDGE MAY GO INTO BATTLE FOR REELECTION
Johnson Will Cause Trouble For Old Guard And May
 Win Nomination
By RAYMOND CHAPTER (Ry Leased Wirel

WASHINGTON, August 4,-Now comes the greatest political tug of war since Theodore Roosevelt rent the republican party in 1912. By coincidence, one of the chief figures will be Hiram Johnson, who first came into national prominence as Roosevelt's running mate in that fla nous fight.
 cards completely off the table. Ev- erything had been arranged for his renomination as the only possible harmonious course for the party. Re publican leaders had intended to go through with this, even at the cost of alienating certain progressives.
 They felt that not to renC minate the President would be a confession of failure and open the way to a free-for-au among the many who would seek the nomination.
 Cuts All Ties.
 Now Harding's death has cut all ties and it is each man for himself. It would be foolish to attempt a ' guess as to what will happen at the next republican convention. Cool idee undoubtedly will be pressed by group of his friends to run. Whether he will consent to do so will | depend, presumably, upon how he J fares during the next few months in 2 the White House.
 [ At IfIS moment or COHLuSlOH. IL IS ! only possible to say that there will { be a large field of candidates, some 2 active, and some entirely in the ( hands ot their ambitious friends
 Here are the leading possibilities in the field, with no attempt to list them in the order of their impor- tance:
 Hughes Changes.
 Z l. Charles E. Hughes will have a ' large following who believe that his close race with Wilson in 1916 " entitled him tC another chance. But his previous prologue utterances have alienated the Senate irrecon- ciliables who will try to block him. Q Secretary Hoover, also League of Nations man, has the same hos { tility to overcome. But offsetting business men in his ability. He is regarded as a moderate progressive.
 2. Calvin Coolidge, after practi- caly year in office, will have a natural advantage, should he seek the uonlfnetion He will have consid- erable support in. the east. and in Secretary of War Weeks. also from Massa achusetts, he was a potential political advisor whose acumen is equal to that of any active politician.
 4. Hiram Johnson. His popular .s strength as shown in the presidential primaries of 1920 will give him a 2 running start. His vote gettins powers are generally acknowledged but he has strong opposition among Ethe party chieftans who disapprove of his extreme irreconCilable views and his scorn of conservatives. Yet his ability to make trouble for the party vii sirelp him.
 Watson Is Contender.
 ,. James l.. Watson, as senator from Indiana is geograp aphically well situated. His chief following is v among extremely conservative busi- Tness men. He is the essence of regu- lar republication and will be op- . posed by the farm block and the pro- eressives.
 G. Robert NJ. LaFollette has an in tensely loyal following, especially among northwestern farmers, but s probably lacks sufficient support among republican politicians to cap ture the nomination.
 { 7 William E. Borah is a progress ' sive, who remained regular in 1912 7 is anti-lea que, and strong with the 2 farmers.
 IIardlngs death increases the men |, ace-to he republicans-of third I party A split might be avoided by VI nomination Cf a progressive. But " nomination of an avowed conserVa- tive leaves no obligation on progress sives such as was claimed when 1t was argued that Harding was en- titled to a second nomination. All depends on whether the progressives rGr the conservatives win the tug-of- war for the nomination.