Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-10-18
PLEASES
THE DEMOCRATS
In Fight With Weeks But is
Not Seen as Presidential
Candidate
BY GEORGE III. MANNING
washington Correspondent OF the
Perth Amboy Evening News)


Perth Amboy Evening News)
WASHINGTON, Oct. 18.-Henfy
Ford has earned the gratitude of the
smocratic party by his vehement
attack on Secretary of War Weeks
over the partitioning off of the
aMuscle Shoals property, but the gen.
.eral opinion among Democrats
around the capital is that the auto
magnate's outburst is not to be taken
as cause for alarm owe the possibili-
ties of a drive for the presidency by
the Detroit stormy petrol.
Whether the effect of Mr.. Ford's
latest and most violent onslaught at
the administration will be to crystal
lie sufficient Ford strength to make
J him a formidable third party con-
tender in the 1924 election, or will
merely be an aid to the opposition
party, the fact remains that his at
tack on Secretary Weeks is the most
serious blow that has yet been dealt
the Coolidge administration.
At the outset the Ford charges
might have been passed off as a
rather personal matter between Mr..
Ford and Secretary Weeks, but the
consideration of the situation by the
cabinet, and the subsequent state
ment of the secretary referring to
the treatment of the Muscle Shoals
proposition as an administration
matter, brought the entire machi-
merry of the Republican administra-
tion ana party in direct line of the
auto-maker's fire.
The only tenable explanation of
the administration allowing itself to
be so thoroughly implicated in the
Muscle Shoals affair by Secretary
Weeks is that the eco of the party
on the whole question of the Ford
offer is SO clear that any attempt
to evade ever a part of the RESPONSE
biiity would be hopeless.
1t Is rather doubtful whether Mr..
Ford himself expected the party to
put itself SO squarely under his at
tack. 1t Is worthy of notice that
he took pains in his statement to
leave the way clear for any in
terested or ratified enemy to rush
in; and also that he made no con-
cessions which would absolve the
Democratic party from its fair share
of the blame for the rejection of his
offers.
Now that the gage of battle
thrown down by Mr.. Ford has been
in a way accepted by the Republic
can party, however, it is quite plain
that the Democrats stand little
chance of losing anything on the
ground Of the Muscle Shoals con
troversy, but will rather benefit by
it. The net effect of the attack on
Secretary Weeks and the column
. d~eliverance of the Detroit manu-
pfacturer on the following day is to
further emphasize the fact, which is
becoming uncomfortably clear to the
Coolidge ~adherents, that the west
will be the stage of the 1924 Presi-
dental battle, and that the farmers,
who are the west, politically speak
ing. have not yet been won to the
support of the Massachusetts sphinx.
At best, the vast agricultural re-
gions of the country are not dis
posed to be very friendly toward the
New England brand of conservative
politics. That this GOODNESS has not
changed greatly is clearly shown by
the numerous movements already
on foot to put the names of pro-
gressives, such as Ford and Hiram
johnson, on Presidential primary
ballots in western states.
The Ford cutlery against the
scrapping of his offer to take over
the Muscle Shoals property and
supply the farmer with cheap fer
tilizer will have a powerful tendency
to ALLEVIATE the farmer vote still
further from the administration.
Into his statement Mr.. Ford injected
the living breath of revolution and
revolt. As a campaign document to
arouse and crystalline the discon-
ten of the farmer with the present
handling of the nations affairs. it
can hardly be excelled. Nothing
that has been said or done by the
President since he took up the adj
ministration can compare with it
In effectiveness; nor has any emana-
ton from the opposing party been so
well calculated to appeal toAthe dis
gruntled mind of the agricultural
population.