Evening star., 1923-08-01
ILLNESS ST|RS Up
POLITICAL BUzziNG
Presidents 1924 Aims in
Balance, With Earliest Cam
palen Opening Up.
BY ROBERT IT. SMALL.

With personal anxiety as to Pres
fdent Harding condition lessening
almost to the vanishing point. there
was disposition here today to con-
slider the political effect of the illness
which has overtaken the chief execu-
tive on his travels.
That the Presidents health may be
more or less permanently impaired by
the ravages of the pneumonia against
which he still is lighting. is possi-
bility which the politicians already
are weighing as they sense the grow
ing political activity the country
over.
There always has been a question
here as to whether or not Mr.. Hard
ing really would care TO make anoth-
er race for the presidency. Many
political plans have been made on the
assumption that he would decline
TO stand for denomination in 1924. de-
spite the fact that Attorney General
Daugherty, the Presidents political
mentor, announced last winter that
unqueSt;onably there would be a de-
mand for Mr.. Harding TO succeed
hlmSelr and that the President would
2ccede to the demand. President
hardlng never has confirmed the At
.orney Generals statement Neither
mas he taken issue with II. He read
e.,
May Depend on Health.
II the President should make a slow
recovery from his present Illness and
if.the spring should find him none too
strong there is slight doubt but that
ne would ask to be relieved of the
burden of a second campaign. There
Isl Mrs. Harding's health to be con-
sidered Is we'll as the Presidents.
She was so much part of his origi-
nal night for the presidency that Mr..
Harolng S friends cannot picture him
out the duchess" as he calls Mrs.
harding constantly at his side
ASIDE from all political considera-
pons there are, therefore, two per-
Sonai factors in the decision that lies
before the President before the nomi-
mating conventions assemble next
June-poSSibly before the state Dri-
marleS begin next March One of
tnese is the Presidents own state of
health. the other is the health of the
INST lady of the land
AZ 1t be true, therefore. that even
under the most favorable physical
conditions the President has looked
Forward to second campaign with
more or less reluctance. it is felt
here that the Illness through which
factor.
In considering the Presidents fu
lure harn course Of action. it must, be
Strlct party man. He believes the
individual at all times should SUBJ
ordinate himself to the party. should
sacrifice his own ambitions, if these
ambitions seem to stand in the way
OF party welfare. If the Preside Mt
should feel that doubt in the public
mind as to his ability to lead the
paign was strengthening the opposi-
ton 10 the party, he would readily
step aside.
Season Opens Early.
The political lines are being drawn
earlier this year than ever before
There is political activity in every
section of the country. Senator Oscar
Underwood's old straw bonnet has
been tossed into ring already
cluttered with a plethora of variegated
headgear. The battle lines are form
ing. There has been but the slight
est suggestion OF truce on account
of the Presidents Illness
The inner works of the grand old
party have been virtually in 4 state
of siege for several months past.
With political consideration thrust
ing themselves forward in the wake
of the crisis in the Presidents illness.
observers in Washington today were
drawing further analogies between
the Harding and Wilson trips to the
west. These analogies We're called
out first by the fatal automobile
wreck at Denver, in which two news
papermen, connected with the Hard
ing party, were among those killed
There was somewhat similar wreck
on the Wilson tour at Portland, Ore,
when two men were killed and two
others seriously injured.
Similarity of Accidents.
Next came the incident of a few
days ago when the transport Hender-
son, on which the President was
travelling. nearly rammed a torpedo
boat destroyer. 1t was recalled here
that when President Wilson was
leaving the dock at Seattle, in 1920,
to go aboard the old battle ship Ore
son TO review the Pacific fleet. his
launch was in collision with another
small craft, and bad spill in the
cold water of the deep harbor was
narrowly averted
On top of all this came the news
or the Presidents Illness at San
francisco made critical by his per-
siStence in carrying out engagements
at Vancouver and Seattle against the
advice of his physicians. Mr.. Wilson
nrst showing symptoms of a decline
at Seattle, continued on his speaking
tour for nearly nine days, abandon
ing at last at Wichita, Kans., and
being rushed back to Washington.
MT Wilson's illness did not reach the
crisis, however, until he was safely
within the White House. Mr. Hard
ing has had his battle far from his
official home. and while his illness
may leave him in a weakened con-
dition, with resistance somewhat
broken down, there is happily no
thought Of the invalidism which has
come to Mr.. Wilson.