The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-06-29
BORAH LACKS
QUALITIES OF
LEADERSHIP
Despite Success with Dis
armament Resolution Fiery
Senator is Not Fitted to
Handle Official Reins.
ALL LOOK TO HARDING
BY MARK SULLIVAN


There has been no development of
leadership in the present senate even
remotely approaching the success
which Senator Borah has had with
his resolution for disarmament con-
ference. This proposal was first in
troduced by Senator Borah on Dec. IA,
in the closing days of the Wilson ad-
ministration it was voted down. Sen
ator Borah revived it and fought hard
for it.
For several weeks it was taken for
granted that the proposal would not
pass in the senate. 1t was vaguely
believed either what President Hard
ing personally was opposed to it spe-
cifically or else that his friends, fear
ing that it might embarrass him in
his foreign negotiations in a larger
sense, wished to protect him from it.
But after some weeks of agitation,
when the Borah proposal came to
test in the senate, it received "a ayes
and not one no.
See Borah Victory.
Thereafter, the lower house framed
an alternative proposal, milder IL
form than Senator Borah's. For some
time past the alternative proposals
have been in a conference committee.
The final determining action will be
taken one day this week and the pres
ent belief is that the house will re-
cede from its position and that Sena-
tor Borah's proposal will prevail.
This is a pure case of leadership
based on responsiveness to public
feeling. Senator Borah has not the
temperament for leadership in the
ordinary sense. He is much more the
contrary thing-a free lance who goes
his own gait. He would never willingly
take on himself the limitations that
go with official and continuing leader
ship, and if he did take them on,
he would find himself temperament
ally embarrassed to live up to them
United for Leader.
He would be very unsympathetic to
the kind of give-and-take essential to
the kind of official leadership which
makes itself responsible not merely
for the success of one bill, but for
the success of whole program. Sen
ator Borah's success with his proposal
for disarmament conference has rest
ed wholly on his understanding OF
popular feeling.
Assuming that the Borah resolu-
tion passes its final hurdle in the
house, the next question is, what will
President Harding do? That there is
on increasing powerful public opinion
in America back of the demand for d
disarmament conference, every poll
tician knows. 1t is composed of two
elements. One is the element that
wants disarmament as a part of the
program Of idealism for the preven-
ton of war. In spite of the superb
cial appearance of the elections last
fall, the plain truth is that more than
half the people OF the United States
want something done for the preven-
tion of future war. The second ela-
ment in this sentiment is composed
of those who want the taxes reduced.
The two elements together make up
a majority of the American people
so overwhelming that no party and no
party leader can safely defy it,
Harding Not Hurried.
If President Harding takes the ini-
tiative now, he will get worldwide
credit for it. and it will compose the
biggest act of his administration SC
far. If President Harding fails to
take the initiative it may happen that
Lloyd George will take it.
This is a line of reasoning which
will not tend to hurry President Hard
ing. He is the last man TO be affect
ed by considerations as TO who is GO
ing to get the credit. In fact, those
who have followed his course closely
on this point think it is quite possible
that President Harding's wish all
along has been to allow a great de-
monstration in behalf of a disarma-
ment conference TO grow up in the
United States. TO allow this demon
stration to become apparent to other
nations, and so stimulate similar
movements in these other nations,
and TO let the conference, when it
comes, arise out of a great popular
movement on the part of all the ma
tions concerned
Copyright 1921 by the New York