The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-09-09
DEMOCRATS
NOT TO DELAY
ARMS PARLEY
Party Leaders Will Not Count
enance Obstruction-Hard-
ing Considering Underwood
as Delegate.
PEOPLE BACK HARDING
BY MARK SULLIVAN

country can take it for granted with |
much confidence that the attack on
some aspects of the coming conference
for the limitation of ornaments which |
was issued in a routine way by a |
minor official of the Democratic Ma |
tional committee does not reflect the
policy of those who really supply the !
thought Of the party.
Something much more near the true
attitude of the larger minded leaders
is suggested by forcible quotation
attributed to ex-President Wilson.
The quotation may be exact, or it may
be only one of good many pictur
esque phrases that have been attrib-
uted to the ex-president since his re-
tirement
Wilson Is Peaceful
The quotation. as reported in Wash
ington gossip, is that Mr.. Wilson PRO
poses to snow President Harding how
an ex-president should behave him
self"
Whether authentic or not, this ex-
preston truly portrays what Mr.. Will
sons attitude towards the admins
tration has been since March 4, and
it may be taken as accurate forecast
OF what will be his true attitude dur
ing the period of the conference.
Aside from the meticulous taste
that Mr.. Wilson has observed in the
shape of refraining from the faintest
suggestion of criticism, 1t is a fact
that in an affirmative sense Mr.. Will
son has gone out of his way to be
helpful to the new administration in
the transition from his foreign poll
cies to those of Mr.. Hughes.
incidentally. the conference in its
social if not in its official aspect, will
present opportunities for Mr.. Harding
TO show his appreciation of this atti-
tude on the part of Mr. Wilson. Many
of the foreign statesmen who attend
the conference will be men who either
sat with Mr. Wilson in some of the
sessions at Paris or otherwise had Of
ficial and social relations with him
when he was in Europe.
The presence of these men, sitting
in the coming conference within a few
blocks of where Mr.. Wilson lives in
retirement, presents opportunities for
a gesture of good feeling such as a
man of President Harding's unusual
sense Of propriety and friendliness
among men is not likely to miss.
Will Keep Hands Off.
II helpfulness, or at least scrupul-
Gus restraint against anything that
would make the conference more diff
cult is Mr. Wilson's policy it is also
the policy of the other Democratic
leaders. who supply the thought of the
party.
Without doubt. these will be watch
full towards the conduct of the confer
ence, and if any occasion should arise
calling for legitimate criticism by the
opposition party, they will supply it
whole heartedly. But they da not ex-
pect any such occasion and they have
no suspicion of the good faith of the
administration.
Democrats are watchful bI> helpful,
on details of the conduct of the con.
ference. such as the degree of public
ity to be followed Many of the Dem.
Gratis, like many of the Republicans
will take a position in favor of the
largest publicity consistent with the
circumstances, but it will be indica
tive of the Democratic attitude in the
largest sense that Senator Harrison
withdrew an amendment to the bill ap
propriating money for the conference
which amendment enjoined publicity
just as soon as Senator Lodge object.
ed 10 it.
Senator Lodge put his objection on
the ground that for the American sen.
ate to attempt through its control over
the funds for the conference to influ
ence a detail of what is essentially
the conferences own business would
be lacking in that kind of courtesy on
the part OF the United States that is
desirable to give the most agreeable
y atmosphere to the conference in our
role of host.
Harrison to Press Publicity
Senator Harrison expects to brins
up the subject of publicity again and
TO press the desirabiity of il on the
conference. TO the degree that is
proper for any American to express
this view, but the democrats will be
careful to refrain from anything tha'
could be construed as making the con
ference more difficult for the admin
istration
The same attitude on the part o
the democrats is reflected in respec
TO another detail of the conference.
is widely rumored that Presiden
Harding intends to appoint as one o
the American delegates to the con
ference, the democratic leader of tn,
senate, Mr.. Underwood.
Some democratic sources, comment
ing on this suggestion. have said tha
Senator Underwood ought not TO &C
cept the appointment II il should b.
rendered him, on the theory that sucl
acceptance would tend to commit tn
party TO support all the actions O
the conference.
This criticism is not we'll received
and the better judgment is that j
Senator Underwood. or any othe
democratic leader is rendered the ar
pointment, he should accept it, Tn
judgment of astute politicians is tha
the American people as a whole ar
so universally hopeful of a favorabl
outcome of the conference that the
will not look with tolerance on any
thing in the nature of what the pol
ticians call throwing monke
wrench into the works
Copyright 1921 by the New York
Evening Post, Inc.