The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-07-10


 BA#8sfYA s political develop- ssN&&&&&l ments some of the
 PORFRTT Presidents closest
 SMALL friends in tn G Senate are inclined to blame him TOT not intervening at an earlier date. They claim certain senators and groups of senators have taken ad vantage of the Presidents hands off" policy to decide for themselves what was best for the people, and for the republican party These groups have openly defied the leadership of Senator Lodge by refusing to adopt the motion for recess of the Senate while the House is fighting with the tariff bill. This recess was intended. to cut off the consideration of tne legislation to which the President has taken exception at this time, in cluding tse soldiers bonus bill.
 President to Send Message
 The President will tell Congress early next week in a message that the best interest of the country de- mands that the legislative pro- gramme at this time be confined eX- clusively to tax revision and the enactment of the permanent tariff bill. He will probably carry the mes sage to Congress in person, to land a personal emphasis to what he has to say The Congress leaders say that the consideration of other legis- lation has reached stage where it will be difficult to head it off. They hope, however, that once the Pres ident has spoken, the effect will be sufficiently great to hold the va- rious bloc" senators in line for the definite administration programme
 President Harding has been told by some senators that the situation in the upper branch of Congress is partly due to the fact that he has had no authorized spokesman in that body. The same is true, they further say, of the House. It has been im- possible for any senator to rise in his place and speak with the author ity of the White House behind him.
 President Harding has felt that Congress did not desire the dictator ship" of administration spokesman He has wanted to adhere to his pledge for a return to a constitu- tional form of government, with the executive, legislative and judicial lines of demarcation sharply drawn The President has felt that after making certain resolutions to Con- gress in his messages. his sphere of action called for nothing further un- til laws were submitted to him for veto or approval.
 Was President to Direct
 The Presidents friends. in induc' ing him this week to take an active hand in directing the course of legis- lation through Congress, have argued that the very fact that he has the veto power, equal to one-third the votes in either branch Of the Con- gress makes him a part of the leg islative machinery. and responsible to the people as such, nevertheless the President has gone into the business of directing such in the way 1t had to go with a great deal of reluctance He had high expectations of Congress- when he was inaugurated on March 4. last He fully expected at tha; time that Congress, working dil- gently and in the spirit of d new order of things in the nation would be entirely through the work called | 1t was into session to perform and ready to adjourn by July To. In stead. as the fifteenth approaches, Congress has scarcely touched the two principal tasks before it. un- I less the Presidents appeal of next week should bring about a revolution l of ideas in the Senate. 1t IS likely that Congress will remain in Wash | ington until the snow flies. There | are many WHO piCOiSN lHae eAi' S-N | tra session will merge with the reg ular sessions due in December. The plans were all made for an entirely different schedule. The President had hoped, among other things. to go to Alaska this summer. and to make several other trips. but Congress will hold him here indefinitely.
 New Leadership
 There are no indications as yet that there will emerge new leadership in Congress. Both Senator Lodge, in the upper branch. and Representative Mondell in the lower, hold their u- ties of leadership by right of longe- witty of service and longevity of serv- ice is sacred in Congress under the present order. There is no disposi- ton on the part of the administra- ton or of the republicans in Congress to upset this leadership. It is felt though that to give the leaders ef- fective control it will be necessary for the President to stand sQuarely | behind them at all times. It is pos | sible, too, that the list of White | House congressional callers will be l appreciably widened. The pressure of other business has prevented un- til now the intimate contact between the capitol and the White House thai the President has cesired
 One situation in Congress whici the President would like to change is the plan for going ahead with the permanent tariff bill before tax re vision is considered This is one o' I the particulars in which his friends l in the Senate have told him he coult have directed affairs. Both tax anc tariff legislation must originate 1T I the House of Representatives and Senate leaders have no authority over the lower branch.
 There Is a plan afoot to sidetracI the tariff when it reaches the Sem ate and 70 wait for the tax bill The l tariff is due for consideration in tho House for three weeks longer. Mean time the ways and means committed will try to frame a tax revision bill It may easily be six weeks to two months however before that bill | reaches the Senate. That is why g recess of the Senate at this time was deemed advisable by the Senate lead CTS. and it Is easily possible thal after the President speaks next weci the recess plan may be adopted. Il there is to be any party discipline 1T the present administration. tha