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Show NEWS REVIEW OF CURRENT EVENTS Mr. Wilson Eliminates Himself From the Race for the Demo-' Demo-' cratic Nomination. PALMER IS AFTER THE PRIZE Various Attacks on the Prohibition Amendment and the Volstead Law Supreme Court Puts O. K. on Steel Tryst Peace and Wax Moves in Europe. By EDWARD W. PI'CKARD. President Wilson got out twice last week. For the first time in five months he was taken out for an automobile ride, surprising all who saw him by his robust physical appearance and gleefully glee-fully exchanging greetings with the people of Washington. Two days earlier be took himself out of the race for the Democratic nomination for the presidency. This long-awaited event occurred Monday after William G. Mc-Adoo Mc-Adoo had a confidential talk with his father-in-law. The news of the conference con-ference was speedily communicated to Attorney General Palmer and he, in turn, got into touch with Mr. Wilson through his adherents in the White House. The president let Mr. Palmer know he had told Mr. McAdoo he would not be a candidate for renomi-nation, renomi-nation, and also gave express permission permis-sion to the attorney general to announce an-nounce his own candidacy. Mr. Palmer Pal-mer lost no time, telegraphing authority author-ity to file his petition in Georgia, where Tom Watson and former Senator I lard wick are boosting Senator Iteed as an anti-administration candidate. Palmer hopes to rally the administration administra-tion forces there to his support and believes McAdoo can scarcely afford to split them by entering the contest in that state. The president let it be known that be will keep his hands off the pre-convention campaign, not favoring fa-voring McAdoo, Palmer or Hoover, any one of whom presumably would be a nominee satisfactory to him. Mr. Palmer, according to bis spokesman, spokes-man, stands with the president on the question of the treaty and League of Nations and Is willing to make that an Issue of the campaign. lie is against universal military training because he thinks the League of Nations will make It unnecessary. He holds that the Sherman anti-trust law must be modified. He favors the enforcement of the prohibition law anil does not bi-lieve bi-lieve it will be a real issue in the campaign. cam-paign. Despite the fact that he is a dry, one of his chief lieutenants will he former Congressman Carl in of Virginia, Vir-ginia, a leader of the wets. Which brings us neatly to consideration considera-tion of the late John Barleycorn and the rumblings from his grave which are causing perturbation among- the drys and also- among many of the politicians. The first of those ominous noises last week was the decision of Federal .Tudgo- Geiger at Milwaukee legalizing the manufacture and sale of 2.5 per cent beer in Wisconsin en the ground that each state has the sov-erelL'n sov-erelL'n right anil police power to fix it s own standard as to what constitutes an Intoxicating beverage. The prohibition prohi-bition amendment providing for concurrent con-current power of congress and the several sev-eral states lo enforce the amendment, .fudge Geiger held that state legislation legisla-tion In the .matter could not be overturned over-turned by an act of congress; he found section 1. title 2 of the Volstead act unconstitutional. New Jersey's legislature got Into action ac-tion the same day, and after an exciting excit-ing debate the senate passed the house bill legalizing the manufacture, sale and transportation of beverages containing con-taining not more than ".5 per cent alcohol al-cohol by volume. In order to avoiil complications com-plications the measure w:is altered so that it does not go Into effect until the termination of the state of war with Germany, and severe penalties were fixed for its violation. In this shape It was signed by Governor Edwards, who Issued a statement that he approved ap-proved it not because he was against prohibition but because he sought to defend the ancient American liberty. In the New York legislature a bill was introduced to legalize beverages containing G per cent alcohol, and a resolution was adopted providing for an investigation of the Anti-Saloon league by the judiciary committee. License was the issue In elections In Massachusetts and Vermont, and In both states many towns that had been dry for years voted .wet. On Thursday New Jersey came to bat again with a suit filed for the state by its attorney general In the United States Supreme court, attacking the constitutionality of the prohibition amendment on the ground that it was Improperly drawn, that in 21 states the legislatures have not ratified it as provided for by their state constitutions constitu-tions and that there is no power in congress to - propose a constitutional amendment regulating the habits and morals of the people. Politics of course is entering into the prohibition fight. The wet Democrats Demo-crats of Illinois already have launched the presidential boom of Governor Edwards Ed-wards of New Jersey and have filed the necessary petition that puts bis name on the April 3 direct primary ballot. The real leaders of the party in that state, however, say this movement move-ment will not amount to much and that the delegates to Snn Francisco probably will not be Instructed. . The New York state Democratic convention con-vention adopted resolutions condemning condemn-ing prohibition by constitutional amendment and calling for the restoration restora-tion of states' rights. By the close vote of 4 to 3 the United States Supreme court has given legal sanction to the United States Steel corporation, the biggest of industrial combinations. The majority opinion dismissed the government's suit for dissolution of the corporation "without prejudice" so that the proceedings pro-ceedings can be reinstituted if the concern con-cern does not behave in the future. The opinion was based on the two main points that the size of a corporation corpora-tion is not in itself a violation of the antitrust laws, and that the Steel corporation cor-poration has not exerted its admitted great power to stifle competition, especially es-pecially since 1911, when the suit was Instituted. No precedent was found in the tobacco and Standard Oil cases; but neither is it assured that this latest decision will furnish a precedent for decision of the suits against the American Sugar Refining company and other trusts that are pending In the Supreme court. Transfer of the railroads back to private hands was accomplished smoothly and so far nothing has happened hap-pened that would make the traveling public aware of the change. Officials of some of the roads are hoping that the interstate commerce commission will permit a considerable increase in freight rates to take care of the evident evi-dent needs of the companies, so that it will not be necessary to ask for higher high-er passenger rates. The government guarantee holds good until September 1. so there may be no boost in rates for several months. The railway brotherhoods wisely concluded to give the new railway legislation a fair trial before talking of strikes, though they did not pretend that they liked it at all. President Wilson has asked the rail executives and the brotherhood leaders to pick their representatives on a hoard that will at once begin work on pending wage disputes. International Interest Is still centered cen-tered lamely on Kussia and on the pence offers made by the soviet government. gov-ernment. Sentiment in favor of coming com-ing to an agreement with the Moscow government seems to he growing stronger, and all the entente nations have been given the tip that they may trade with the Russian co-opcrativcs, whose chief representative has .."m'i,-iino.oi'il .."m'i,-iino.oi'il in gold to pay for the things Russia most needs. The race for this trade is lively among the British and some of the continental nations, including in-cluding Germany. The representatives of Finland. Latvia ami Rnumnnia. and perhaps of other countries, are in Warsaw War-saw discussing peace conditions to he submitted to the soviet. Lent no. while apparently striving for international peace, is not letting up on his domestic enemies and at latest reports had Gen eral Djenlklne's Cossack armies cornered cor-nered in the Kuban peninsula east of the Sea of Azov. In northwest Russia the bolshevik front was advanced almost al-most to the Finnish frontier. The settlement of the Fiurae controversy contro-versy still lags and discussions of it were transferred from London to Paris. The Jugo-Slavs naturally are pleased with President Wilson's notes, and Premier Nitti of Italy seems to be In conciliatory mood. Hungary, which has not accepted the peace treaty offered it, has elected Admiral Horthy regent governor of the country, and the adherents of the old regime were hopeful that this presaged pre-saged its restoration. But the supreme council, it Is said, is determined that no Ilapsburg shall be placed on the throne of either Austria or Hungary. Premier Nitti, it is reported, has demanded de-manded of the supreme council a revision re-vision of the Hungarian treaty because as it stands it places 3,000,000 Magyars In the Jugo-Slav, Roumanian and Czecho-Slovak states. The peace treaty with Turkey is in the hands of experts for completion, its main details having been determined deter-mined by the allied council. Besides the features already mentioned in these columns, it was decided that the Turkish warships shall be broken tip, and that the army shall be reduced to such a point that it will be ineffective against another country. There is great disorder in Turkey, and on Thursday the cabinet resigned, Izzet Pasha being called on to form a new ministry. In connection with the disturbed dis-turbed situation, the British naval forces in the eastern Mediterranean are being largely increased, and French troops have been dispatched to Constantinople. Both ri;,nce and Portugal have been having serious labor troubles, and the latter is still so afflicted. In France the rail workers declared a general strike, but the government took drastic dras-tic measures and, with the aid of thousands thou-sands of volunteer railway men, broke up the strike and forced the workers to accept a compromise. The disturbance disturb-ance in Portugal also began with a rail strike which spread to tramways and postal and telegraph lines. .It was reported the workers had proclaimed a soviet form of government, but this was not confirmed. Of course the Portuguese monarchists, who are always al-ways on the lookout for such chances, became active and complicated matters. mat-ters. Organization of the American Farm Bureau federation was completed at a meeting in Chicago which was attended at-tended by representatives of more than 1,000.000 farmers. The organization organiza-tion has raised .foOO.OOO for its 1021 program, and $1,000,000 is promised for 1022. Part of the money will be used to establish national headquarters headquar-ters and to pay officers and experts, some of whom will receive salaries as high as $2",000 a year. The directors drew up the following follow-ing tentative program : National legislation that will prevent pre-vent strikes and unnecessary suffering. Investigation of the tariff in relation to farm products. Fight reciprocity with Canada. Investigation of marketing, live stock prices and foreign competition. Lower freight rates. Investigation of foreign trade relations. rela-tions. More businesslike relations with packers and consumers. Investigation of credits nnd foreign exchange. Establishment of a Washington office, of-fice, wiili experts to watch and report nn legislation. All decent American citizens and : that includes the vast majority of the population rejoiced over the results of (lie municipal election in Seattle, Wash. Maj. Hugh M. Caldwell, a former for-mer member of the A. E. F., was opposed op-posed for the mayoralty by James A. Duncan, leader of the radical element in labor circles there. The issue was clear cut Americanism against the I. W. W. and extremists in general and Auieneanism won. the final count of the vote being .Vi.xr.u f,,r Caldwell and f..r Dum an. Seattle has been a center of potential rebellion, but the city feels that it has now removed the blot from its fame. |