Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-12
COOLIDGE VICTORIES
IN WESTERN FIELD
BEAT EXPECTATIONS
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Neased Wire Service to The JourDal.)
(Copyright, 1924.


WASHINGTON, April 10.-The
break in the Coolidge campaign for
the Republican presidential nomina-
ton has come. Nothing but a politi-
cal earthquake now can prevent the
nomination Of the president at CleVe-
land in June
Mr.. Coolidge, from the start, has
had the support of the regular Re
publican organization, which is all
powerful in the eastern states. 1t
was not known what would be his
strength in the presidential pri,
mares. The victories in Nebraska
and Illinois-states in which weak
nesses would re expected to develop
if at all-has knocked the wind out
Of the sails of the Hiram Johnson
campaign and left the field to Mr..
Coolidge.
Although presidential primary
votes are not considered binding a.
q national convention, they never
theless are an index Of popular feel,
ing. Mr.. Coolidse's strength in the
primaries is a. surprise even to his
own friends. To carry Michigan,
Illinois, Nebraska and North Da-
publican has not achieved in a. good
many years. Republican support
Of the president in the conservative
areas Of New England and the east
has been unchallenged, but the west
SO easy to conquer.
Early Majority Likely
Mr.. Coolidge. according to present
indications, will have a majority of
the delegates at the Republican ma
tlonal convention on the first or sec
ond ballots. 1t may be for the sake
of prestige and campaign effective
ness later on almost the entire Re
publican convention will vote for
Coolidge, giving him the psychologist
cal benefit of virtually unanimous
support.
All will not be smooth sailing, how
ever, for Senator La Toilette is sched-
uled to make a fight for a radical
platform, falling in which the Wis
consin delegates and others, possibly,
from western states, will announce
their decision to support a third
ticket.
Efforts will be made by the Cool
idge leaders to liberalize the Repub-
lican platform, not so much to pla-
cate the La Toilette group, but to sat
isfy the sentiment of the people Of
western states. But it is not believed
that any platform adopted by a reg
ular Republican convention will suit
the La Toilette radicals.
One of the more difficult planks to
be written will be that concerning
foreign policy. The report of the
IOo ~
Preparations commission has been re-
ceived here with qualification be-
cause Of the belief that it will help
compose the European situation, but
the administration cannot openly
claim credit for the work of the I'M
official body of American experts,
even though their appointment was
made originally with the knowledge
and consent of the United States
government.
Hughes Policy Followed
The policy followed is exactly that
which Secretary Hughes recommend
ed in his New Haven speech. The
administration can point with pride
to the advice it rendered Europe if
the problems of reparation should
be solved, but it cannot point with
pride to the studied attempt of the
foreign relations committee of the
senate to bury the world court pro-
posal advocated by the late President
Harding and President Coolidge.
1t is significant that the Dawes
Young report has not stirred up op-
position in congress. Usually when
ever any mention is made Of the
League of Nations or the connection
Of any American with a European
problem, however unofficial there
is an outburst from the 'irrecon-
ciIables." Senator Medill Mccormick,
of Illinois. was one of the first to
criticise the plan whereby Messrs.
Dawes and Young were to be critl-
cised by the separations commission.
Their report shows a willingness
TO let a committee of the League
of Nations handle some of the inn
portant problems involved in the
reparation question and its also pro-
vides for an American to act as pre-
siding officer in one of the impor-
tant permanent commissions to be
appointed. Such proposals as these
heretofore have been denounced as
"meddling in European affairs" or
becoming entangled in European
diplomacy" The Dawes-Youn re-
port instead is just now regarded as
a step in the right direction and
may yet be one of the posts of Re
publican orators on the stump. espe-
cially when they meet in cry that
the Coolidge administration "has
done nothing to help Europe"