Evening star., 1924-03-09
NOLITICS during the week has
- been something Of a hodge,
podge. While In q few states
tho nearness Of primariea fs


podge. While In few states
tho nearness Of primaries is
responsible for Quickening Of the po-
litical pulse, the correspondents gen.
orally who contribute to The Stars
national week end survey find but
few changes to record in the progress
being made by various candidates
for the presidential nominations.
There arc indications that the
country Is beginning to. be fed up on
the oil investigation. which dragged
its weary way through another week
OF minor sensations Apparently the
only important political effect 50 far
OF the oil disclosures has been to
throw a monkey wrench into the
McAdoo machine. McAdoo undoubt-
edly has been hurt. but there are no
indications in the reports that any
other Of the democratic candidates
has greatly benefited thereby In
stead of putting some other one can
didate out to pace the running, the
effect seems rather to have been to
bring out added starters and to slow
up the whole field.
When the McAdoo balloon was first
puncturcd there was strong belief
that Senator Underwood would be
the chief beneficiary, but there are
no indications today that such has
been the case 1t begins to seem
doubtful, indeed, IL Underwood will
30 10 New York with as many dele
gates instructed for him as he had at
San Francisco four years ago. Ms
sisslppi, FOR instance, which instruct
ed for Underwood in 1920. plans
this year to send an uninstructed
delegation. 1t will be friendly to I'm
derwood. 1t Is true, but still free to
climb aboard whatever vehicle has
most the appearance Of a band
wagon.
In fact. that spirit seems to per-
meate pretty widely the ranks Of the
democracy. The "boys' seem chiefly
anxious to be good guessers as to
which way the cat is going to jump.
From Illinois comes what might
be accepted as a warning note that
the going may not be so smooth
for President Coolidge as appear
ances have indicated it would be.
The stars correspondent at Chi
caso wires that the week end finds
the President decidedly weaker as
a result Of the oil disclosures.
good favorite" with illinois re
publicans. AS the Chicago corre-
spondent diagnoses the situation.
the disaffection toward Coolidge
Is chiefly among newspaper head
line readers" who do not trouble
to go to the bottom of things,
but who have formed the impress
sion that things are in a terrible
clined 20 hold the administration
to blame. The opinion is expressed
that. as a result. the prospects for
Senator Johnson in Illinois are
considerably brighter. but that
instead Of the California senator
being the chief beneficiary, there
has been a marked revival of talk
Lowden. The situation looks SO
good to the democrats that they
calculate on better than an even
chance Of electing their state
ticket
There are no reports from other
middle western states this week of
republican disaffection toward
Coolid ge. but the Illinois story
does In a measure support the
claims which are being made by
the managers for Senator johnson,
who insist that all through that
part of the country the Presidents
strength has been impaired by the
oil disclosures. Political senti-
ment has a way of spreading in
waves over the prairie states. and
Mr.. Coolidge's friends are bound
to be anxious until it is determined
If the Illinois humor can be iso-
lated, or whether II is destined to
become epidemic in the granger
states.
* X =
Elsewhere things seem to be 60
ing well with the Coolidge for
tunes. In Washington state the
johnson managers have decided
not to enter the primaries in op-
position to Coolidge, and are ask
ing now only that Senator John
son be accepted as the second
choice Of the Washington delega-
ton, to be voted for in the suppo-