Evening star., 1923-06-20
FOES VISION TRIP
HURTING PRESIDENT
Expect to Make Capital
I From Some of Western
Speeches.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
The democrats look upon President
Harding's western trip without ap-
prehension or concern. They really
think it will ultimately yield political
benefits in their direction.
President Taft's swing around the
circle was followed by widespread
insurgency in the republican party.
Disaffection exists in the ranks of re-
publicanism today, especially In the
west. The democrats are not expect
ing a third party to be developed
this time, as in 1912, but any friction
in the republican party will tend to
enhance the opportunity of the demo-
Gratis to make a platform and nomi-
nate a candidate of special appeal to
the discontented elements.
In Defensive Role.
As vet no plan has been made to
TO answer his speeches. The strategy
OF the democrats is to let Mr.. Hard
ing have the political stage to himself.
for he is in defensive position. any
way. and his critics will analyze his
utterances much more effectively If
rnhampered by the partisan outbursts
OF an active political opposition.
The President will have to define
the issues. The democrats are in
position to pick flaws in the presi
Dental program without, at this time,
offering an alternative. Their tactics
Will be to break down the force of
the presidential argument and leave
until the next democratic convention
answer to it. The outs" always
nave that advantage in politics and
the democrats will not hesitate to
take leaf out of the political guide
book of their opponents in hammer
ing away on everything they can.
vance of the party convention. More
or less the same strategy of guerrilla
warfare will be pursued in the next
Congress except that the democrats
group Of insurgent republicans who
ALREADY have begun TO make life
miserable for the Harding contingent.
Stand of Bornh.
The President himself will be able
70 some extent to keep his political
foes from bombarding him if he sticks
to non-partisan style of speech. If,
however. he plunges boldly into re-
publican achievements he will invite
rejoinders. Mr.. Harding. however, is
more likely to find himself attacked
by republicans who disagree with
him than democrats. His first speech
on the world court is awaited with
element in his party. The general
expectation is that Senator Borah will
be particularly aggressive in attack
ing the President on the world court
ha
prising If the Idaho senator made
only a gesture of opposition.
The truth is Senator Borah is up
for reelection next year and he needs
the support of the regular republi-
cans to win the nomination. Politi-
cally speaking, IL behooveS him TO
straddle at the moment and not to
antag gonize the regulars This is an
important phase of Idaho politics at
the moment and will bear watching
In connection with the trouble that
some of the democrats have been
hoping and wishing would begin to
brew for Mr.. Harding. in the west.
II will not be S material a factor as
they think.
AS for Hiram johnson. senior sena-
tor from California. nobody knows
yet what his attitude will be. The
President makes a speech in Califor-
MIA after returning from Alaska.
Should he mention the world court or
anything else on which Senator john
son disagrees, there will certainly be
some response from the California
ever, is that the world court viii be
made the subject of presidential dis
course in ST. Louis. where the COM
ment of Senator James Reed. demo-
crat. will not hurt republican har-
nony and that the subject viii not be
revived in California. Any attempt to
turn Hiram Johnson's home state
against his way of thinking on any
=. t1,o tr~ nt,1 tnr an
the warpath and President Harding
knows it.
Farmer Problems.
Democratic hopes of western politi-
cal earthquakes may therefore not
materialize so far as insurgent re-
publicans are concerned, though 1t
is quite possible the world court
issue will be side tracked in i'm
portance alongside of agricultural
problems, which after all were the
crux of the western revolt last
eutumn.
The policy of the democrats will be
to wait watchfully the opportunity
to take advantage of any misplays
BY Mr.. Harding, and If his speeches
are unconvincins in themselves the
democratic StrategiStS are too shreWd
TO St1r up partisan emotions at a time
when unprejudiced scrutiny of the
Presidents utterances might rebound
to their benefit.
+ The real reply to the western trip
of President Harding will probably
be made In the next Congress. when
the republicans from the west show
their hand. If he wins the west they
will be tractable; if he doesn't make
an effective impression they will be
recalcitrant. The democrats feel
vhay need only n n yuhirh
way the cat jumps before committing
themselves TO ANYTHING