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Show tor Smoot may become chairman of 1 the appropriations committee. Senator Warr-n was chairman of the ii:i!it:iry conimiU"(. wl.t n tlio Ri-publi'.-ans lost control of tin; S'-.p.aic and is probably tl.es btr.--t posic.l ir.;:n on military affairs in rilhor branch of c)nere:i.s. Ho id yetting alon in vt.-ar.s aii'l as the chair-manship chair-manship of th appropriations comruit-t?o comruit-t?o cu tails an enormous amount of work it would not be at ail surprising if In3 should notify the committee on commit tens to fmbstituto the name of j.Senaifir Smoot for the place. Whether the change would satisfy the progrcs--sives remains to ie seen. If any agreement vras readied at the conference concerning tho league of nations na-tions the fact was not made public and it id very doubtful if any action was taken on this all-important matter. It is known that a majority of the Republicans Repub-licans of the country, as well as a majority ma-jority of the Democrats, are in favor of the league and to make it a party question would bo to invito disaster at the polls next year. The special correspondents at Washington are having hav-ing considerable to pay regarding what will be done with the treaty of peace and the league in the senate, but all mese sensational stones snouia do taK-en taK-en with a grain Qf salt, since most of the correspondents are likely to reflect bias one wny or the other. CUMMINS CHOSEN. Senator Cummins of Iowa having : . jbecn unanimously chosen for presidont jiro tempore of the senate, one cause of friction has been removed. Johnson of California could have had the place for tho asking, but tho Californian pre- 1 ferred to be a free lance on the floor. Under ordinary circumstances, either Smoot or Curtis of Kansas would havo been chosen. They were compelled to stand aside, however, on ac- : count of tho dispute over the finance and appropriations committee chairmanships, settlement of which was j ' postponed by the Republican conference. confer-ence. Lodge of Massachusetts was re-I re-I elocted party leader and the Kepubli- ' cans will be ready for business when ' tho extra session begins Monday, if tho question of chairmanships is disposed of in the meantime. Otherwise there may bo somo delay in getting down to ' actual work. Tho selection of Senator Cummins for president pro tempore I will give general satisfaction. He is usually classed as a progressive, but he is not wild-eyed and takes a com-monsense com-monsense view of the great questions coining up from time to time. He has frequently been mentioned as a candi- 1 date for president in times past and his name may be. presented to tho Republican Re-publican convention next year in case his colleague, Senator Kcnyon, does not go out after the highest office within the gift of tho people of tho country. The result of Wednesday 's conference confer-ence shows that harmonizing influences influ-ences are at work and that the Republican Repub-lican senators are in substantial agreement agree-ment on all matters except the proposed j elevation of Senator Penrose to the ' I chairmanship of the finance committee j and Senator Warren to the chairman-! chairman-! shin of the committee on nnpropria- j tions. Leader Lodge was authorised to ! appoint a committee on committees, and ! if Penrose and Warren aro selected j the progressives havo agreed to carry , their fight to the floor of the senate. j If this threat is carried out the Demo- j crats will have an opportunity to sct- I tlo the controversy and a rumor is i ! romg the rounds to tho effect that ! enough minority members will absent ' themselves to place tho regular Re- ; publicans iu control of tho senate. It 1 is a well-known fact that the leaders ! nf tho opposing parties frown upon .';ny kind of irregularity and arc I : therefore more or loss inclined to help ; each other in a pimh. So if the com- ; nuitee on committees decid.es in favor i of Penrose and Warren it is highly - probable they will pull through. It is quite por-.-dblc that Senator War- I ren would prefer to head the committee commit-tee on military affairs and that Sena- |