The Washington herald., 1920-12-28
President Orders ALI Un-
finished Matters
Cleaned Up.
INFORMS HARDING
OF HIS PURPOSE
Mexico, Russia, Germany
Among Legacies to
New President.
By FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.


Woodrow Wilson will remain
President of the United States in
the most active sense until the hour
OF Warren c. Harding's inaugurs-
ton.
Full steam ahead" to the last
minute is the policy decided upon
To use an idiom popularized during
his own regime. President Wilson
has decreed that no bucks are to
be passed" to his successor. He has
ordered that unfinished business be
reduced to the minimum. In the
realm Of both foreign and domestic
affairs, everything that cam be
wound up by March 4. 1921. is being
tackled with that end in view. No
issue, however thorny. is to be
lodged
In addition to the policy OF dealing
as definitely as possible with all
matters the President has instructed
every executive department Of the
government TO make things as easy
as it can for the officials who viii
have charge two months hence In
timatIons TO that effect recently
have been sent to Marion. Fresh
assurances on the same score were
conveyed on Friday last to George
Christian, President-elect Harding's
secretary, who passed two hOUrs at
the White House going over the
ropes with Mr.. Tumulty.
Takes Medicine PhiIosophienIIy.
The President is authoritatively
represented as taking his political
medicine as philosophically as he ac-
cepts the kind that DR.. Grayson
prescribes for him. That is ssi ID to
explain the spirit of wide helpful
ness which President Wilson desires
shall prevail when the great turn
over occurs.
Last weeks episode of the British
Embassy's private communication to
Senator Kellogg on the cables con-
troversy afforded the State Depart
ment a welcome opportunity TO show
that Woodrow Wilson is "still on
the job" The incident was trifing
in itself 1t was a plain but not a
gross breach OF diplomatic usage
for an embassy TO go over the head
OF the Secretary of State.
Perhaps il might not have been
noticed at all except that three weeks
previous Sir Auckland Geddes some
what riled the State Department by
calling on President elect Hard
ing in Washington. He was not
"rebuked" for il but the affair
caused comment at the department
Regime stands on Rights.
Although the Wilson administra-
ton has less than siNty-fve days
to live. il is its purpose not to
ignore episodes like the British
Embassy incidents. Evidently the
administration is determined to
stand unequivocally on its rights to
the bitter end.
There is Of course. small hope
that either abroad or at home the
Wilson government can deal con-
clusively with the mass Of trans
cendant affairs now pending. Mex
leo will have TO be bequeathed to
Harding as Taft bequeathed IL to
Wilson. Unless Benine and Trotzky
collapse in the brief interval Will
son and Colby will leave office with
Russia still a complete outcast. as
far as the United States is con-
cerned.
The squabble with Great Britain.
France and Japan over the German
cables will hardly be settled by
March 4. Differences Of opinion
with Great Britain and France over
the Near East also will have to be
marked unfinished business" The
japanese negotiations are being
pressed with the utmost vigor. but
barring the unexpected they. too,
will fall within the same category.
Germany Up TO Harding.
What to do with Germany. Of
course, is entirely for the Harding
administration to decide. Woodrow
Wilson has said his last word on
the peace treaty and all its works.
In the domestic field, the White
| House feels that Congress has the
ball" There is said to be no dis
position on the part of the Presi-
dent arbitrarily to block urgent
emergency Legislation. but bills will
be considered by him strictly on
their individual merits. Nothing
savoring of Indifferent Judgment
due to the early demiss of his ad-
ministration, will be passed. AS long
as the sceptre remains in his hands
Woodrow Wilson proposes to rule
in fact as well as name. Physically
he is said to be better prepared to
do so than for many months past.
Copyright 1920. Public Ledger Co..