Evening star., 1921-06-25
PRESIDENT DECIDES
To TAKE A HANDIO
SPEED Up CONGRESS
Reluctant to Follow Foot
steps of Wilson and Roose-
veIt-Action Necessary.
PARALLEL TO SITUATION
IN TAFT ADMINISTRATION
Extra Session Two and HALF
Months Old Without Action on
Tariff or Taxation.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
President Harding has found It pee-
essary to apply the executive accel-
orator to Congress-. He has been re-
luctant to follow in the footsteps of
| other Presidents who drove Congress
with firm hand. and he has resented
the suggestion that he should dictate
to both houses. But. after a lapse Of
two months and half. it has become
apparent that the extra session Of
Congress will be fruitless unless the
Executive forgets his ofaexpressed
ideas about the complete separation
of the functions OF the executive and
legislative branches Of the govern
ment and accepts the role Of party
leader. which made it possible for
Presidents Roosevelt and Wilson to
get results in Congress. and which
President Taft subsequently admitted
that he, too. should nave done early
in his administration
Parallel to Taft Regime.
The situation today is strikingly
parallel to that which existed a few
months after Mr.. Taft was inaugu.
rated.- Congress was then led by
Aessrs. Aldrich and Cannon. who had .
pronounced views on the tariff with
which Mr.. Taft felt hesitant to take
issue. - .-'-'
There are no two leaders in Congress
today who WELD as much power as
did Aldrich and Cannon, but in their
places have arisen strong groups. rep
resenting class interests. The danger
to Mr.. Harding's legislative program
tfoa In h sv 80
leaders in either house to adjust the
differences between the various
groups. The leaders. therefore. are
really anxious for executive help.
So tangled has the situation become
that those republican leaders who
from this fall. when the present House
is up for reelection. have discussed
among themselves the adyisabiltty OF
sending steering committees to the
White HoqSe to ask for help. Mean
while. at practically every meeting Of
the cabinet. the President has been
urged to take hand vigorously and
insist that Congress concentrate on the
tariff and taxation TO the utter ex-
clusion of every other legislative pro-
posai. however important.
Situation Has Drifted.
. Thus the situation has been drift
ing without tangible results. Mr..
Harding has about decided to do q
little driving, first, with gentle
hand. and later with a hrmer appli-
cation Of executive pressure, II neces-
sary. He realizes that the possible
loss Of Congress to the democrats in
the middle of his own term would
mean disaster to his own political
fortunes. The impatience Of the
legislative program has been so pro-
!nounced that it is no exaggeration
to say that evidences Of real worry
over the political outlook are begin
ming 70 Mr On sdf
seek to convince members of Con-
gress that their fortunes are in
separately bound up with those of the
isfying the demands made by the
people in the last election for a restora-
tion Of normalcy.
Thus far the House has proved it<
self more responsive to popular feel
ing than the Senate.
BY slashing military and naval ap-
preparations considerable money has
been saved which a generous Senate
would otherwise have appropriated.
There is an undercurrent Of senti.
some progress had been made on in
ternational disarmament there might
have been an even greater economy.
Disarmament talk is no longer re-
SarOcu DC TIC IHuttcIIHsS OI a feW
pacifsts, but is seriously looked upon
as a matter of dollars and cents, and
taxes. I
Taxes and Tariff.
But. while both houses have been
struggling with the appropriation
bills-which is, after all, routine
matter-no bill has been completed on
the tariff or taxation. -,
Business men who had hoped to
know what the tax rate would be for q
next year have been disappointed,
Many businesses run their books from
July to July l Of the next year. II
has been confidently expected that
Congress would at least have brought
July /. but the bill has not gotten
that far, and nobody in Congress has
an accurate idea OF just what kind
of revenue measure will eventually
be passed.
Judging by the legislative tanRles
which have arisen in handling the
tariff. there will be considerable delay
in getting the tax bill through both
houses. Many conflicting interests
have shown a disposition to wranKle
about the tariff, but the>tontroversies
thus. far over the tariff are not a Cir
cumstance compared to the trouble
which is anticipated in framing a new
tax bill. TIE chief executive alone
will be able to reconcile differences
of opinion. And he will have to do 1t
largely by executive insistence on
compromise. which would otherwise
be refused il offered by congressional
leaders In other words, Congress
Harding has made up his mind to ali