The Butte daily bulletin., 1919-06-16
Our Washington Letter

Washington, ID. c., June 16.-
Frank Vanderlip's resignation from
the presidency of the greatest bank
in the greatest banking center in the
world has set the financial experts
to looking more anxiously than ever
before at the European financial
crisis, over which Lloyd George and
Clemenceau are now desperately
quarreling.
Vanderlip came home from Europe
with his warning that the whole up
per layer of European civilization
may collapse and fall in, due to the
bankruptcy of France and Italy, and
the scrioue condition of British fin
ances. He told the bankers in New
York that the credit of America
must Immediately be given the busi-
ness men abroad, rather than the
governments, if Europe was to bI
saved from a "conflagration. The
outcome of his warnings and plead
ings was that he was forced out of
the presidency of the National City
bank
Since his dismissal from his high
post in Wall street, Vandcrlip has
delivered several speeches, and in
each he has followed up and empha-
sized his first message. He says that
government loans to European gov
ernments will not save Europe from
collapse, but that if American credit
machinery, materials and fuel are
quickly supplied to European manu-
facturers and builders, there is still
a chance that what happened to i'm
perial Germany as the result of the
war will not happen to monarchist
Italy and business-ruled France as
the result of bankruptcy and indus
trial paralysis and hunger.
Johnson Boom Hatchcd
Hiram Johnson's friends announce
conference of state leaders at San
Francisco to organize the fight for
his nomination for the presidency
next year by the Republican national
convention.
This move has been made after a
careful survey of the field of non
reactionary candidates. 1t is gener-
ally felt that while the liberal ele-
ment would have more implicit faith
in Senator La Toilette than in any
other American as the candidate of
a party sincerely desirous of enlight-
ened administration, the Wisconsin
progressive could not be nominated.
The kept press has poisoned the
public mind against him, and it will
take several years for the effect of
the poison to disappear.
Kenyon is proposing a series of la
Dor measures which are of a liberal
sort, but he is not enough of re-
cognized leader. Cummins is out of
the race. Norris is in the same class
with lSenyon-he is content merely
to disagree with the standpatters on
few measures; he will never de-
clare open war upon them and their
organization.
Soldier Straw Vote
Recently a transport arrived from
France, bearing the 313th regiment,
which was recruited from four east
ern states. A poll of the presidential
choices of the men and officers was
taken during the homeward voyage,
and among the Republican candi-
dates Hiram Johnson stood out with
COG, as compared with 1876 for Lodge,
242 for General Leonard Wood, and
rs for General Pershing. Democratic
votes were divided-Wilson 626,
Clark 297, McAdoo 1874, Baker so
Among the other candidates were
Debs ITO, representing the Socia-
lists; Gompers 6S, representing a
labor insurgency, and Bryan 45,rep-
resenting the Prohibitionist element
Senator Johnson was greatly pleas
ed with this showing of his Repub-
lican strength among returning sol
diers from the eastern states and with
his having beaten President Wilson
by 70 votes. The call for his hat
throwing party" followed immedia.
tely.
Meat Sold to Russians
Secretary of War Baker has auth
orized the sale of $25,000,0 900 worth
of the meat supply not needed b!
the army to the Russian Co-Opera
tive Societies purchasing committee
Argument now wakes warm in Off
cial Washington as to whether this
deal means that Baker is the frs
official to try to get American foo(
into soviet Russia, or whether he j:
trying to furnish a big supply of pro
visions to the reactionary armies tina