The Winslow mail., 1924-01-11
COOLIDGE MIGHT
LOSE BAY STATE
REPUBLICANS OF MASSAcHU-
SETTs ARE FOR BONUS AND
AGAINST WORLD COURT.
THESE ARE JOHNSON PLANKS
BY EDWARD B. CLARK

! by EDWARD B. CLARK
Washington.-Some of the Repub-
Iican politicians here say that it is
quite conceivable that, with the is
sues drawn as they are in the Re-
publican primaries, President Coolidge
might lose Massachusetts and Senator
Johnson might lose California, which
are the home states of the presidential
candidates named.
What is here written represents the
views of politicians who have spoken
freely upon this matter, and it is CIV
en- without any bias at all as between
President and senator, each Of whom
it is definitely known now has his
nomination ambitions.
The conditions in Massachusetts are
peculiar unto themselves. The Pres
ident is a Massachusetts man with the
apparent loyal backing of his state as
a favorite son, but the Bay state Re-
publicans are committed almost who'll
ly to two Of the Johnson policies which
are directly opposed to the Coolidge
policies.
Your correspondent has talked to
some New England politicians and
publicists about the situation in their
home state. The Republicans of
Massachusetts, and in fact virtually
the entire population, irrespective of
party affiliation, are, it is alleged,
heart-whole and actually headstrong
for the bonus. The entire population
seemingly is also heart-whole and
headstrong in opposition to the World
court proposal and to anything which
looks like an attempt to help Europe
out of its troubles
State'o Vote May Be Personal.
Senator Johnson, therefore, will en-
ter the Massachusetts contest for del
egates with a platform which, in con-
siderable part, suits most of the peo-
pie who will go to the primary polls.
If he were son of Massachusetts he
seemingly could secure on the basis of
two planks in his platform a great
vote in the state. AS it is, it is said
he probably will lose the state because
Coolidge is a favorite son. Massa-
chusetts, therefore, according to the
politicians viewpoint is to vote in a
way not political but personal. Local
pride may displace political preference.
Your correspondent asked Massa-
chusetts editor If the Democrats could
carry a single New England state on
a League of Nations issue, or on a
more or less direct issue of something
looking like American intervention in
European affairs. He said in answer
that the task of counting the Demo
cratic votes cast in such case would
set a mark of minimum labor.
One great Democratic newspaper of
Massachusetts is supporting Coolidge
for the nomination. Thus does the fa-
vorite son idea dominate the heart Of
the adversary. One of the greatest
Republican newspapers of New Eng
land now is for Coolidge after having
been a staunch upholder of the John
son policies for months. This news
paper refuses to speak Of the adjusted
compensation as a bonus. 1t declares
that the ex-soldiers deserve all that is
asked in the congressional bills for
their relief, and that to deny them
their due is to faunt the spirit Of
right and of patriotism.
This same paper, a power in all the
New England communities, is violently
opposed to American membership in
the World court and to anything else
which suggests action beyond the
three-mile limit or, as It soon will be
probably, the 12-mile limit. Yet to-
day it is supporting Coolidge for the
nomination with all the editorial
strength which it possesses and does
not seem to think that it is necessary
at all to explain why it is for one man
on platform which it ioathes instead
Of being for another man on a plat
form which it loves.
Republicans Select Cleveland.
The Republican national committee
has met and gone it's way. Repre-
sentatives of all kinds of Republican
ism from all parts of the land were
present in Washington while the COM
mittee was meeting. Those present
had one surprise of size sprung upon
them and another of less magnitude.
The first surprise and rather stag
gering one was the direct request made
to the committee by persons close to
the administration that Cleveland rath-
er than Chicago should be named as
the convention city. The second sur
prise came in the form of an announce.
ment, the nature of which had been
discounted in advance, that President
Coolidge was to authorize a campaign
in his behalf for the Republican nOmi-
nation.
The national committee, of course,
cannot as a body actively support the
campaign of any candidate for the
presidential nomination, but individual
Iy the members can do much for this
man or that man, and, moreover, 1t is
known that if the wish, concealed from
the public of the majority of the COM