Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-04
GOVERNMENT GAP
WILL Be BR|DGED
Conferences Between Future
and Present Executives to
Follow Harding's Call.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

The gap in government between the
Wilson and Harding administrations
will be bridged.
Senator Harding will call at the
White House to pay his respects.
Conferences between members of
the future cabinet and the present ex-
ecutives of the different government
departments will come subsequent to
announcement of new cabinet person.
mel The response of republican as
we'll as democratic editors to the sug-
gestions of close cooperation be-
tween the outgoing and incoming ad.
ministrations for the best interests Of
the whole country has been almost
unanimously favorable.
President In Ready.
President Wilson himself is said to
be ready to tell Senator Harding all
the facts Of foreign relations as they
have been conveyed to him, SO that
in mapping out his own foreign pol
icy the President-elect shall have the
benefit of the latest information con-
cerning the true attitude Of foreign
governments.
The President is being urged. more
over to send the treaty Of Versailles
back to the Senate. 1t is-true that the
ing 1t could not be ratiied-tn its pres
inEs at Geneva have sitered, tho whsle
face Of things. 3ss'f4sf,
: The unanimous internxet2tion given
Officially at Geneva by the assembly
mean guarantee of terrtforiA1 In
tegrity as has been suggested in the
debates in the American Senate, but
simply refers to external aggression.
has been looked upon. by friends OF
the President as q good augury.
. ~
mark that she could not 5 furnish
troops for a certain purpose called
for by. the leagues council is also re-
garded as a precedent that will bolster
up the view taken by Mr.. Wilson
heretofore concerning the freedom Of
action of every nation on the subject
of military aid.
VIII Net Fefst viewS.
But there is no suspicion here that
Mr.. Wilson will try to foist his views
about the league ON Mr.. Harding. The
latter will decide for himself whether
the league is, a dead issue or not and
what he will do about it. On the
before the President, as seen by
friends of the league. is that unless
he sends the treaty and covenant
back to the Senate there will be moth
ing before that body. 1t is suggested,
for example. that it would be difficult
for Mr.. Harding to send the treaty to
the Senate without first arranging
with other powers for changes. Also
the view is being urged upon the
President that full responsibility for
the failure to ratify the treaty would
rest upon the Senate IL he sent the
doucment to the upper house with his
own suggestions of changes that
could be made to satisfy criticisms
made heretofore.
Indeed, it would occasion no sur
YIric NJ
feat at the last election. would at Las.
make compromise suggestion and
leave it to the republican Senate to
approve or reject, but furnishing at
sny rate basis for q continuance Of
the discussion.
Want 1t Left In PfgeonhoIe.
The republicans themselves would
prefer that Mr.. Wilson forget about
the treaty and keen it in a pigeonhole
until Senator Harding gets inside the
White House and begins cleaning up
his desk and examining his files. They
are fearful that the demand in fhe
next few weeks will be for legisla
fion to afford relief to the farmers og
the west. cotton growers OF the south
and agriculturalists generally.
The clash between the city and the
Iarm is a serious one. The attitude
OF the Treasury Department NAV he
said to reflect President Wilson's
views, namely. that the credit OF the
united States is already in such
strained condition that to extend
soans to any one class would only
start general demand for reiief
which would weaken the government
purse and force down the price Of Iih.
erty bonds and other obligations
Much Of the trouble is due tn tbo
fact that while the people voted in
November to turn the democratic adA
ministration out Of power. the n.w
administration doesn't come into ofIjcs
until three months have passed and
probaoiy will not get familiar with
the problems in hand for another two
months after that WV
Meanwhile American business srf-
Iers all sorts of fears and neryousnass
rms shaky condition Of the econnro;c
world will compel conferences ha-
tween the Wilson and Harding ad-
ministrations and between renuS,,cs,
and democratic leaders. Most nfiiciaI.
are optimistic about the future anS
attribute the entire business uns.t ~
the pains of readjustment and tho
dihiculties Of changing adminis,ra
tions in the midst Of a reconstrmct;on
period unparalleled in American h;.a
tory. "is
(Copyri1h ION