The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-24
COOLIDGE FORGE {. H|GHLY GRAT|FIED.
Believe Ford's Declaration Will Crush All Opposition
 In Both Parties
WASHINGTON BUREAU l
 THE AGE-HFRALD s Washington, D. C., Dec. 23

President Coolidge and his satel- lites believe the declaration of Henry Ford in favor of the executive means the crushing of all opposition-both in the republican and democratic parties.
 The President believes that the statement of Ford will swerve repub lican farmers and laboring men, and democratic farmers and laboring men to the Coolidge standard: that 1t will effectively answer all progressive" and democratic criticism based on the Fordney McCumber tariff act, and the various scandals attributed to the administrations account.
 Senator Hiram Johnson, a presi- dential candidate, dismisses the Ford statement with the expression. Tt has been expected" And the Washington Post mouthpiece of the White House, declares that Ford would likewise have declared for the retention of the late President Harding had he survived his first term in office.
 Interviews with outstanding demo- crats reveal the fact that the only re- gret caused them by the Reclamation of Ford is that it will preclude his candidacy on an independent ticket.
 They never thought that Ford would be able to make headway in the demo- cratic convention. They never thought that Ford had a chance to win the the nomination in the repub- lican convention. They did think 1t possible, however, that Fords sup porters, chagrined because of his "treatment" by democrats and repub- licans, would launch an independent movement.
 Running as an independent. they held that Ford could not have carried rock ribbed democratic states, but that he could have carried Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, and possibly Iowa, states wherein the democratic party has never been able effectively to score.
 The view of the so-called radical group headed by Senator LaFollette, is that Ford is, in the first place. no politician and in the second place is a business man of such proportion that he must Of necessity be pleased with the protection that a reactionary republican regime gives 10 big busi- ness.
 They hold that Ford knows the ef- feet on business of a presidential campaign especially if it is eNtraord- inarily bitter, and would moderate that effect by paving the way, as far as he is able to pave it for the cleo tion of Coolidge.
 LaFollette holds that Ford cannot carry with him the suffering farmers of the west or the man who labors under the burden in the forms of taxation and tariff imposed on him by the republican administration.
 It is official that democrats never claimed Ford as one of them. In the beginning, they say, he was re- publican, anything. As a candidate for the Senate, he entered both the re- publican and democratic primaries. and in the latter was nominated
 It is declared that that was his sole connection with the party. In his con- test against former Senator New berry, and in his effort to secuI e Muscle Shoals, democrats supported and republicans opposed him. But ir- respective of the motive of repub- licans. democrats supported him in the Muscle Shoals controversy, and will continue to support him, for other than political considerations.
 Ford may have had Muscle Shoals in mind whom he declared for Cool idge, it is pointed out.