The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-08-15

dlleT a new CO1lSTcSS WIS aaSShh"Aou'
to appoint only those members of COM
mittees which would have to deal with
the immediate legislation for which
congress had been brought into spe-
cial session. - -.
Thomas b. Reed, when he was
speaker, did this, and Joseph G. Gam
non on one occasion did it, but III re-
cent years the committee appointing
power of the speaker has been taken
away from him and now party eau
Gus of the dominant membership set
ties the matter. 4ss
Special Session, General Work.
At the beginning Of this congress
the committee memberships were ALI
filed, and although the special SEES.
sion was called virtually specifically
for the purpose Of taxation and tariff
Iegislation, congress has gone into all
kinds OF things, and has been able to
present themSfor consideration because
the committees OF. the. house had been
named and the members wanted to
work. Moreover there was pressure
from here, there and everywhere for
legislation Of this kind or that Kind
and committee members feltsthe pres
sure and yfelded oft. ~. =
There are hundred. underlined leg
islative purposes in,lview in congress
today, and some Of the Republican
members, who Of course are RESPONSE
bile because they represent the ma
jority, have insisted that other things
than the tariff and taxation should be
looked after at once, while other Re
publican members, feeling the effects
of hot weather and not believing that
the country wants along session. have
insisted that the tariff and tax should
be dsposed of and that recess should
be taken. The President seems to
side with this latter group of his
party ~. = = go"
There is criticism. among many old
er members today because conditions
IRE such that, congress cannot be kept
to the duties for which it was called
together, and leave minor things alone.
The Republican leader Of the senate
and the Republican leader of the
house each, apparently felt compelled
! to 80 to the White House to secure
that support, which would make the
senate and the house Republicans fol-
low the leadership. Y. IA ~
There is one thing, however, that
thus far :thes leadership has failed to
accomplish. Ut has not been able, to
bring "a 1nanimity of opinion, or at
any rate of acquiescence, among; the
followers in a definite policy on just
what should be done and what should
not be done.4 1t seems possible that
President Harding. If hehso desired,
might be able to force recess.
Geddes' Cancelled Dinner.
Washington has been more than In
terested in the recent Lord North
cliffe incident. This titled proprietor
of several great English newspapers
was invited to dinner at the
British embassy in Washington, III
which city he was temporary guest.
Then suddenly the dinner was called
Off and the invitations which had gone.
it is said. to the President OF tile Uni
ted States, the cabinet officers and TO
many men prominent in official and
social life. were RECALLED.
u. Lloyd George recently deprived the
;Northcliffe newspapers Of certain
news-gathering privileges at British
official Headquarters in London grant
ed to all newspaper. representatives, IT.
, respective Of the political affiliations
! iof the journals which they represent.
The privileges were cut off because vt
criticism which Lord Northcliffe had
T passed on Marquis Curzon, the British
secretary for foreign affairs.
The next scene of the trouble after
It left London was Washington, where
tile incident just recorded occurred
The lie has been passed between Mar
quis Curzon and Lord Northcliffe, ana
at this writing things are still very
much up in the air and everybody IS
still very red In the face.
e.. Juicy Topic for. Gossips.
These embassy incidents always in
terest Washington, because 1t loves
gossip as it loves politics. The Lord
Observation-Disclosures Geddes-l-'oyu
George Marquis Curzon affair Will not
he forgotten at Washington-din dinner ta-
t;bles for a long time to come, OF course
'tIls matter was purely British. ore,
except for Its American setting, but II
came prett ysnear Involving the Presi'
dent of the United States in an IN
fortunate; natter. f0r if he's had talked
with Lord Northcliffe for an hour anu
III half before the thing occurred. as ne
did talk With him after it had occurred.
he would have been accused of taking
sides. in a. personal British contro.
,versy. "a ~ ~ - ..3.m,fts.
!, As. 1t vas, thenPresident dill no;
know anything about the cancellns OF
the embassy dinner until after he had
seen and talked with Northcliffe.
At this, writing 1t is impossible 10
! tell whether in any way or not Ambas-
sador Geddes "put his foot In it, but
| If he did it is his own government ana
not that of the United States which
must take cognizance of the affair and
| of the. ambassadors part in it.
vrSc err Az ATT n ~ ..-s.