The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-11-10
s DEATH
MEANS Shit
IN SCENES
Passing Of Veteran G. o. P.
Leader to Have Profound
Political Effects
CONTINUED from First Page

nave ever ShJOySu. ne na0 hand
IN the nominating Of every Republi-
can candidate for President in the
last thirty years, he kept America
out of the League" he was woodrow
| Wilson's great political opponent,
the record of his influence in legis.
lation is written in the law books
of the country for the last quarter
of century, and hundred volumes
in thousand libraries bear evidence
of the brilliance Of his mind and pen.
In life he was more influential
| than probably any man who never
occupied the White House. And his
death will have profound effect
upon the course of things in Wash
| ington in the years Immediately
ahead.
SagaciOus Statesman.
His death removes from the ma
tional stage at an important time
a sagacious statesman who was not
wholly in accord " nth President Cool
idge and the new regime in Washing
ton.
1t opens the way for the appoint
ment as his successor of William M.
Butler. the successful manager of
President Coolidge's campaign for
reelection. Washington looks upon
this as already assured.
1t means a new Republican leader
| OF the Senate for the first time since
the heavy hand Of world war lay
athwart the Capitol.
Effects Of Death.
1t brings into the chairmanship
Of the powerful Senate Committee
on Foreign Relations Senator Viii
liam E.. Borah. a fellow irrecon-
cilable, who fought shoulder to
shoulder with him In She memorable
League fight, but whose pathway
in international policies recently
Lodge. Both, for instance, favors
recognition of Soviet Russia.
In innumerable other ways the
death of Henry Cabot Lodge will
have an important )earing on the
immediate course Of things in
Washington. 1t opens up field Of
speculation that is unlimited.
| 1t is probable that the mantle
Of leadership will fall temporarily
upon Senator Charles Curtis of
Kansas, the Republican whip of the
J Senate. Curtis exercised many Of
| the prerogatives OF leadership in the
| last session because Of Lodges diff
ferences with the White House and
| because Of his failing health. For
! the short and probably unimpoFtant
period that remains Of this lame
! duck Congress that meets three
weeks hence, 1t is likely that Curtte
will carry on.
Seek New Leader.
In the new Senate which will
come into power year hence and
be Republican in authority as well
as in name, new leader will have
to be found. 1t may be Senator
James Wadsworth of New York. 1t
will be Wadsworth II some Admin
| istration leaders have their way.
It may be William M. Butler. IL
his expected appointment by Gov
ernor Cox of Massachusetts,. Is fol-
lowed by his reelection at the next
general election two years hence.
American history contains no
more dramatic chapter than that
of the feud between Henry Cabot
Lodge and Woodrow Wilson. The
grave has now enyeloped them both,
but no grave can ever efface the
bitterness, the acidity, the vitriolic
character Of their differences dur
| ing one of the most stirring
periods in the development Of the
Republic.
No one who was in the Presi-
dents room in the Capitol on the
4th of March, 1921, can ever forget
their last meeting. Wilson, broke,
white-faced, partially paralyzed, sat
IN the great chair Of authority for
the last time. Outside, the plaza
was jammed with cheering thou
sands, already acclaiming his sue.
cessor. 1t was Harding's inaugural
day.
There was a twisted smile on the
face Of the outgoing President. The
cheers from the thousands outside
came family into the high-ceilinged
J room where he sat.
That twisted smile, half.sardonic,
half -contemptuous, disappeared as IL
by magic when the door opened and
in walked Lodge. As legislative
leader, Il was his traditional duty
to inform the outgoing President Of
the demise of a Senate that had
fought Wilson as probably no other
Senate had ever fought a President,
communication from the executive.
Their glances met for Just tho
| fraction of a second. Then both
looked away. Lodges look was at
the window nigh above where the
wartime President sat half.askew
in his chair. Wilson was looking
at his palsied hands.
For a moment there was abso-
lutte silence. Then like the crack
Of whip came the voice of
| Wilson:
II have no further communica
ton to make. thank your for
your courtesy. Good morning."
Lodge turned on his heel and
left. A few minutes later, kindly
hands lifted the crippled form Of
the ex-President into his carriage at
the door and he drove away down
| Capitol Hill to the House in s
street, which he rarely left until
! he died.
Did Not Attend Funeral.
Even in the death of the ex.
President, last February, the zen.
nifty between the friends of Wilson
and the wispy little scholar from
| Massachusetts did not end.
Still in his role Of Senate leader,
| II developed upon Lodge to deliver
the eulOgy Of Wilson in the Senate,
and to lead the Senatorial mOurners
at the funeral. The eulogy was
delivered, a scholarly essay on the
ability Of the wartime President,
but ON the morning Of the funeral
IL was announced that q slight i'll.
ness would keep the Senate leader
from going to the Wilson home.