New Britain herald., 1926-08-21
THIS WEEK MARKS
 OPENING OF FIGHT
Republicans and Democrats All
 Set for Fall Campaign
BY GEORGE H. MANNING

| 1 democrats for control of the senate and house. It is the real start of the congressional campaign which from now until November will be hot in majority of the states. Headquarters of the republican l senatorial campaign committee and | of the congressional campaign com mittee are to be opened this week In New York and Chicago. These l committees have offices in Washing ton and are cooperating closely with the republican national com mittee. of which Senator Butler of Massachusetts right hand man of President Coolidge. is chairman. The republican national committee has headquarters in Washington the year around, as does also the demo- cratic national committee.
 While the republican committees are bestirring themselves, the dem ocratic national committee, the sen- atorial committee and the congress l sional committee, are also getting down to business. Representative | Oldfield of Arkansas, chairman of the congressional committee, has for months been active in preparation for the battle of this summer and fall.
 Already, tons of campaign liter ature have been sent out by both sides or prepared for distribution. The preliminary work of organizing has been started in many states and congressional districts. Once the hot season is about over and vaca- tions ended, hundreds of speakers will be sent out under direction of both the republican and democratic committees and the country will be swept through the months of Sep tember, October and early November with endless broadsides of campaign oratory.
 The congressional campaign this year is recognized by the leaders of both parties as one of exceptional importance. The republicans now have the presidency and both houses of congress, President Coolidge, for the latter part of his administration wants the backing of a republican congress, without which his recom- mendations as to legislation will have little weight. While the re- publicans will fight to keep the mas tery of senate and house. the demo- crats will endeavor to wrest from them the control of both houses. If | the democrats get control of both houses, or even of the senate or the house, they will be in position either to block legislation or to dictate the form of legislation during the last half of MT. Coolidge's present term. | Capture of the control of Congress | by the democrats would be regarded by republican chiefs as handicapping the republicans in their efforts to carry the country in the presidential campaign of 1928. On the other hand, the democrats would look on a victory this fall as enabling them to pave the way to eiecting demo- cratic president and Congress two. years hence.
 I OT Olt lIIillg, IT tliC u'iioNi "t' carry the next Congress they will doubtless set on foot number of | investigations by committee of the House and Senate, with view to digging up material which will be hurtful to the republicans. This is a method of procedure well-known to the political strategists of both parties. Such investigations at times in the past have proven intensely embarrassing to the party against ! which they were directed.
 Impartial observers of the situa- | ton take the view that the outcome of the campaign Is highly doubtful. While 1t will take big political up- ! set for the democrats to get control of House and Senate, their leaders insist they are going to do it. In any event, everybody recognized l that the contest over the Senate IS extremely close. If the republicans keep control of it, it probably will be by only one or two majority, and if the democrats win, 1t will De by but a narrow margin.
 Need Gain of Nine
 In order to win the Senate, the democrats will have to make net gain of nine senators. But there are 26 republican seats to be fought over and number of them are Tn states which are either close or nor mally democratic. Under such cir cumstances, it is admitted by the re- publicans that they face a different situation. The states in which there will De the hardest struggles over electing a senator will be Massachusetts, Maryland. Kentucky, Ohio. Illinois, lari. Missouri. Oklahoma, Colorado, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon and Idaho. Other states will nave interesting contests but some or these are primary rather than pre- election events.
 The Massachusetts contest will be watched from one end of the land 10 the other because Senator Butler, right hand man of President Cool idge, is pitted against former sena- tor Walsh. an able democrat.
 New York will be in the hme- lint from start 10 finish, although the reelection of Senator Wads- worth there is viewed by the repub- lican chiefs in Washington as prac- tically sure. Senator Wadsworth's opponents refuse to admit this. In yolved in the New York contest are the proposed referendum on the wet and dry issue, the political for tunes of Governor Smith, a number of seats in the House and the late of Senator Wadsworth who, If he gains a sweeping victory, may come into prominence as a presidential possibility.
 In Maryland, the democrats will make a great endeavor to sweep the state. Not only do they want 10 re- place Senator Weller, republican
 lNWafr