The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1924-08-07
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
President Coolidge Busy Prepar-
ing His Letter of Accep-
lance.

assistance by the United States broke
out every man has grabbed a bucket
and run for the fire. That's patriotic
but it is not up-to-date. Now we
have good laws and an excellent vol
unteer fire department with modern
apparatus, but we must have a fire
drill occasionally or we won't know
what to do or how to use our equip
ment. That is what the National De-
tense Day is and l cannot conceive
how any patriotic or progressive
American can object to it. We are
simply going to test the efficiency of
the company and try out the fire
hose. National Defense Day means
nothing else. There is nothing mill
taristic about it." This is the state
ment of General John J. Pershing
who expressed himsS4f as amazed,
when he returned from Europe this
week, that any one should object to
National Defense Day.
The opinion in Washington is that
it was wholly characteristic of the
organs that brother Chas., without
even waiting for an expression from
the head of the ticket, should have in
jected himself into the national situa.
ton with an appeal designed to at
tract the pacifsts. His first protest
was taken here as merely a smart
alecky effort to play cheap politics
and for that reason President Cool
idge has declined to enter into any
public controversy with ''the little
brother of the Peerless Leader" 1t
was suspected in some quarters that
John W. Davis would resent the con-
duct of his running-mate but not by
those who know Mr.. Davis at all well.
He is, his close friends point out, far
too shrewd and adroit lawyer to
permit, at this early stage of the
campaign, any indication of real ami
mostly between him and the man
chosen to bride the Bryan vote.
Whatever Mr.. Davis may think he
will give no public sign of displeasure
and it was all in accordance with eX-
pectations that he should have taken
occasion, as soon as he returned from
his vacation in Main, to announce
that he was sin entire accord" with
brother Chas The brother Chas. has
seen the error of his ways, however,
would seem to be indicated by his an
nouncement that he did not purpose
to play politics when he voiced his
views.
Malcolm r. McAdoo, brother of the
Crown Prince, has come out for La
Toilette. Of the statement that the
followers of VIM. G. McAdoo are GO
ing to support La Toilette generally
Malcolm says, Il should say they
were fools if they did not, after the
treatment received at the convention,
which will go down in history as the
Grim of 1924" Even those political
observers in the national capital who
really know La Toilette, who know
him to be a cheap political dema-
gogue of the lowest order and who
regard him as a menace to the nat
ions welfare, cannot but feel that it
is pretty hard on him to have Nal
colin McAdoo publically support him.
For Washington has not forgotten
Malcolm's part in the negotiations
looking to the purchase of interned
German ships-before the United
States went into the World War. L.
z. Foster, Malcolm McAdoo, the l. W.
VS.. 1t will be a molly crew that
ranges itself behind Skipper LIE Fol
lette.
Forced to assume some sort of
name for his party, La Toilette has
chosen the name progressive"
greatly to the anger and chagrin Of
those progressives who enlist under
the banner of Theodore Roosevelt in
1912. In 1912, it is recalled, La. Fol-
lette was an insurgent and violently
anti-Taft as long as he thought he
could gain the nomination for him
self. But once the real progressive
lined themselves up behind Roosevelt
La Toilette was more bitter in his OPP
position to that ticket than any other
prominent politician even Taft. It
is the memory Of that fact which an
gers the men who stood with T. r.
and which leads E. A. Van Valken-
burg, Roosvelt's chief journalistic
supporter, publisher of the Philadel-
phia North Americas, to call upon
progressives everywhere to repudiate
La Toilette and all his works. Thru
out the campaign (of 1922 La Fol-
lette persistently assailed the Prog
ressive movement and its leader,
declares Mr.. Van Valkenberg in his
appeal.
President Coolidge is working hard
on his letter of acceptance. Reports
from the Democratic camp state that
Davis is doing the same. The details
of organization are being effected in
the campaign headquarters, and in
the meantime national politics are