Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-12-09
PRES|DENT.ELECT
At WORK AGAIN
Meeting of Minds" on League
of Nations Question and Con-
ferences on Domestic Prob
lens Will Begin Soon

Marion, Ohio. Dec. s.-After months
vacation trip to Texas and Panama,
Presdcnt-elect Harding returned to
Marion to-day to lay the foundations
of his administration and its policies in
consultation with many of the nations
leading statesmen.
The meeting of minds" ne promised
during the campaign will begin early
next week after he has disposed Of
accumulated correspondence and has put
into moro concrete form the questions
he waits TO ask those who come here to
confer with him. The League OF Nations
will be foremost in his discussions, but
several other problems will be kept In
mind as he gathers advice and prepares
himself for executive responsibility.
Throughout the campaign and since.
Mr.. Harding has declared many times
that there are urgent questions to be
decided in the nations domestic affairs
ana to these he will civc attention in some
OF his conferences here. For one thing
he has advocated Il reorganization of sew
eral gov >ernrent departments to insure
greater business efficiency and he is ex-
pected before March 4 to discuss that
subject with some of tho country's most
successful business executives. Mean
! time, too, he must choose his cabinet and
must frame the taxation program he will
recommend for the extra session of Con- =
gress to be followed soon after his in
auguration. Upon most of these subjects
he made some progress during his two
day visit in Washington, but the real
work of his administration building is
yet to be done.
| His. mind refreshed by his long play
spell the President-elect evidenced to-day
! "a IN Unf Nrity nitsIx INT he
swing of the task before him. During his
absence in the South he has devoted his
time almost without interruption to rest
and recreation, putting into the back
| ground entirely the trying responsibilities
| of the presidency He told his friends
| that this vacation probably would be his
last real respite before he retires from
the White House and tried to make the
most of it.
He considers that the change Of menta
atmosphere and the excitement of trave
have benefited him immensely, but he
showed to-day that he realized that /
was over by attacking at once the stac'
I of letters that he found awaiting III
attention. To clear his desk will require
hard work during the remainder Of tbs
week. for he has given virtually no atten
ton to correspondence since the elec.
ton.
The President-elect and Mrs. Harding
may move to some southern resort some
time during January, but they expect tC
be in Marion continuously until after tn,
holidays. Within this period Mr.. Hard
ing hopes to conclude the League o
Nations conferences and to gather muci
important data on domestic ques tons
Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska whc
led President Wilson's Senate fight fol-
ratification Of the Versailles treaty
and Senator Shields of Tennessee. al
opponent of unreserved ratification
will be among the first democrats tC
be consulted by the President elect II
his league conferences. He also will
ask the advice of several promnen
women regarding the League, but tn,
list has not been completed.
Senator Harding had not decided
tonight whether he would resigr
from the Senate sooner than he hat
! planned, upon Governor Cox's promise
to appoint Frank 3. Willis, repub
lican. to succeed him. During the da,
he tried to get into telephone com
munication with Mr.. Willis but wa
unable to do so because of the ser
ious illness Of the latter's father. Th
-, President-elect's decision may b.
based upon Mr.. Willis wishes.