The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-12-14
WHY WILSON FAILED TO
CONFER WITH HARDING
Presidents Failure to Send
Post Election Message
Significant Incident.
lnY DAVID LAWRENcE.l

Washington, Dec. 14.-(Copyrlght for
The Chattanooga News.) The eX-
pected conference between Woodrow
Wilson and the president elect failed
10 materiallze, People may Justly ask
why, The truth of the matter may re-
veal an unfortunate hesitancy on the
part OF both Of the gentlemen con-
cerned to take the initiative and n
disposition on the part OF each TO stick
TO his own conception Of the proprle-
ties, but the facts are these:
White House officials let It he known
to newspaper men several days ago
that the president would "be glad to
see Senator Harding" The hint was
promptly taken and published broad
east II reached the ears OF the presl-
dent-elect.
Senator Harding considered whether
he ought to accept or ignore the in
formal round -about sort of an invita-
tion. He finally told friends he would
merely leave his cards and pay his re-
spects unless he received a formal in
vtation or direct request to come to
the executive mansion for n conference,
The president elect would have
gladly accepted an invitation II he had
been given one. He hesitated for this
reason: He really did not know
whether the president wanted 10 see
him He remembered incidentally that
of all the messages OF conGratula ton
received after the election returns came
III, lnfluNlUB u IHtSSdBt from tON.
Cox himself not a word came from
the White House,
Can't Understand.
Senator Harding has told friends he
Is at loss to understand 1t. Indeed,
It may be said that back of Mr., Hard
ings declination of the battleship ten
dered him by the president for the
cruise to Panama was a trace OF con-
Germ over the failure OF Mr. Wilson 10
send any .congratuatory message. OF
course, when the Mayhower was Of
fered for the trip to Washington from
Hampton Roads, the stop at Bedford,
Va, made "A rail journey unavoidable
and the Mayfower simply's couldn't
have'been as convenient The battle
ship might, however, have been ac-
cepted but for the wonder in the mind
of Mr. Harding as to the absence of
any congratulatory message from Mr..
Wilson.
The public may have lost sight of the
| fact but Senator Harding didn't. 1t will
be recalled that Charles Evans Hughes
didn't send congratulatory message
| to Mr.. Wilson after election day In
| 1916, but that was because there was
| some doubt about the result, and
| finally Mr., Hughes did send a telegram
| However, this time there was no doubt
| about the returns.
| To Avoid the HypocrItlcaI.
In defense of President Wilson'S at
| venture the suggestion that he did not
titude in the matter, some OF his friends
| feel that he could extend congratula-
| lions with any degree of sincerity and
| that he didn't want to seem hypocrit.
| ical about 1t.
| To say 81 congratulate you on YOU
| victory over u.s. would have been in.
| consistent with an honest mind, 1t Il
| asserted, but then other friends wonder
| why the president didn't simply con
| fine his message to the expression o
hope that America would profit by tn,
| Harding administration and that Mr.
| Harding would be successful.
| The incident is important in that l
| prevented a frank and full discussion
by the outgoing president and the in
| coming president of. some of the mos
| perpleXing problems in the nation
| history. 1t is true that presidents
| elect do not always confer with tn
man who is still in the White Hous
after election day, but precedents hav
been broken in recent years because O
the extraordinary character of tn
problems before the government. In
deed, there will have to be many
conference between department head
of the incoming and outgoing admins
trations in the interest of good gov
eminent and the hope was that the tw
chiefs would set an example for thei
associates.
Il This Much Certain.
i 1t may yet come to pass, but thi
much is true--Senator Harding will nc
seek a conference with President VIII
son, but will attend one if he is per
sonally invited