Evening star., 1925-08-17

old stanch Republican held for four
full years.
But the Shortridge forces realize
they have Johnson'S cordial enmity in
the fight to bring about the Senator's
return to the Senate in 1926. lie Is
not the only thorn in the ShortrldSe
side The considerable La Toilette ele-
ment in California (Which rolled up
425 ,000> votes in 1920 is set down as
anti-Shortridge. There is said TO be
section of the business world that IS
unenthuSiaStic about re-electlnE
Sam" No categorical indictment OF
shortcomings is leveled against him.
1t is merely suggested that California
can find, and ought to find, bigger
man to represent it in the Senate.
Shortridge's voting record at wash
ington is not vulnerable. lie support
ed the bonus over the Presidents veto,
but California's 250,000 organized le-
gionnaires do not dislike him for that.
He was a Jealous advocate of the
tariff on citrus fruits and other Cali
fornia SpecialtieS that were well taken
care of in the Fordney-McCumber
law. When Japanese exclusion hung
in the balance in Congress last year
Shortridge was a vigorous, valiant ana
victorious exponent of that issue.
Leading Republican newspapers
particularly powerful press of Los
Angeles, are friendly to him. Yet,
with all these things in his favor, his
denomination is not yet accounted
certainty, and his election, if nominal
ed, is considered even more doubtful,
despite the fact that California Is
tremendously Republican State and
the Coolidge sentiment, running full
tide here, should help flood Shortrldge
back to Washington.
Butler Visit Expected.
Senator Butler of Massachusetts,
Republican national chairman, is eX-
pected on the coast during the Au
tumn. BY that time the Shortridge
situation may be more clarified. Sen
ator Johnson's hand, in particular,
may be more fully disclosed. If John
son could beat Shortridge in the 1926
primaries and dictate the nomination
of a Republican of his own selection,
Hiram's political fortunes, now in sad
disarray in California, would undoubt-
edly be bolstered up. On all hands
it is acknowledged they are in urgent
need of repair. They have been shat
tered to an extent that even endangers
Johnson's chances for reelection in
1928. The once omnipotent rabble-
rouser has, therefore, more than one
purpose in seeking to Sidetrack Short
ridge. Johnson is far less 'dyamic"
than he used to be, and his old po-
litical talking points are shopWorn and
threadbare.
Republicans who figure in the list
of possible contestants for the sena-
torial nomination are G. c. league,
Coolidge manager in southern Cali
fornia; Kyle Palmer of Los Angeles
and Robert Clark, a prominent lawyer
of the same city. DIR. David p. Bar
rows, president of the University of
California, would command wide sup
port if he cared to enter the running
against Shortridge. With how many,
if any, of these possibilities Johnson is
coquetting in his anti-Shortridge Ven
delta there's no way of knowing.
league would be an especially strong
contender. He is president of the
Walnut Growers Association and of
the California Fruit Growers Ex-
change. Both positions have given
him influence and prominence from
one end of the State TO the other.
Chester Rowell, famous editor, is still
another Republican of senatorial
stature.
McAdOo's Name Heard.
Only two names are heard in con-
nection with the Democratic nomina-
ton for the Senate-JameS d. Phelan
and William G.. McAdoo. Phelan is
by far the more active and more like
ly possibility. The former Senator has
been making some discreet soundings