Evening star., 1921-06-18
Tells Cabinet Feeling of Peo-
pie After Trip-PresidentiaI
Action Expected.
NECESSITY OF GUIDING
HAND IN CONGRESS SEEN
Leaders Fear Making Wrong Move,
But Nations Impatience Makes
Early Solution Vital.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
ny DAVID LAWRENCE.


Vice President Coolidge is man OF
very few words, but what he told
President Harding and the cabinet re-
Gently made a deep impression. FOR IL
was learned today that. after a trip
through the west. Mr.. Coolidge came
back convinced that the country was
a good deal more impatient Tor action
by Congress on new tax proSraiil
than folks in the National Capital had
been inclined to believe.
Mr.. Coolidge reported on the sentl-
ment which he had found out west
particularly aENnog republicans, VINO
felt that it was of paramount I'M
portance that the tax question be dlS-
posed of without further delay.
The new administration in Washing
ton has not Soubted the existence or
a strong sentiment for tax revision
hut has been unable. of course, to
suecd up Congress because that body
has thus far insisted on steering its
own course.
But matters are growing serious:
Republican leaders in various parts or
the country are worried. Tney know
that there is political dynamite in the
tax question. but they are even more
concerned that Congress has evidently
made little progress toward a solution,
and here it is almost midsummer. whon
the whole thing was TO have been
passed ana out OF tne way.
Tariff Tangled Also.
The tan-ies in the tariff are local in
their effec5, and no one denies that dis
content over certain proposed schedules
l. causing considerable political rue
ton. The INSURGENCY of the Minnesota
republicans. who protest against the
Fo-drey tariff on lumber. is only ms
forerunuer of q series of clashes be-
tween sections of the country as well
nD,,psis1w int1rpStS u thn T1anUtac-
turing. agricultural and banking
world.
Thus far President Harding has kept
ori' Of the general run of controVer-
si"s on the tariff, but people on Capt.
toll Hill believe he VIII sooner or later
have to take Il hand and steer the
snip. NJ. Harding already has made
it plain that he will insist only on the
tariff and tax bills this session. and
that while he would like to see other
measures like a new department of
public welfaresor Il government reor-
eaa.zation bill put through. he real
ICES precedence must be given the
tariff and taxes. even though nothing
else is done on other bills.
Mr.. Harding is trying not to force
Congress. He is loath to do anything
that might seem to be dictation. either
in the WiIsonian or Roosevelt,an
gross function under its own leader
ship.
Word From Chief Needed.
But even the leaders in Congress are
not altogether sure that it is a good
plan. They do not, of course. want to
be forced to do things against their bet
ter judgment. they 90 not like to be
ordered to pass a bill when there is
powerful sentiment inside the party
against II, but when the whole situation
il! more or less in confusion and men,
brrs are pressing consideration of their
own bills as against administration
measures, it is helpful for the leaders to
get word Of counsel from the chief
executive.
So difficult has the whole situation
become incidentally. that some of the
republican leaders who know Mr.. Hard
ing's aversion to anything that may look
like an instruction to Congress. are con-
s:dcring the wisdom of sending the steer
ing committees of the Senate and House
to Mr. Harding for advice. II the initia-
tive were constantly taken by the lead
crs in Congress they feel their consulta-
ton would not be subject to criticism.
Naval Bill Most Serious.
It is not merely on the tariff and
taxes that conflicts have and will
occur. bv far the most serious Situ-
alton before Congress today is the
naval appropriation bill. After slash
ing the military appropriation and
insisting that the Army be cut to
1JV.OUU men over tne pEOttStS VI Hcii.
Pershing and Cha irman Kahn of the
House military affairs committee, the
naval program is similarly being
chopped up. The House insists upon
going further than the Senate in cut
ting down naval expenses. and While
ordinarily a controversy between the
Senate and House over military and
naval expenditures is settled by
yielding to the Senate's desire. this
time the sentiment in the House is
almost too powerful to be disposed
of that way. Most of the members OF
the republican and democratic parties
feel that their political lives are in
danger if they do not cut down gov
ernment expenditures sufficiently to
permit of a substantial reduction in
the tax rate.
The demand for economy is nom
partisan, but the republican leaders
know their party will. after all. be
held responsible in the next con-
gressional elections. Vice President
Coolidge brought the tidings to the
the executive to speed work on tariff
the executive to speed work on tariff
and tax revision is certain to follow.
Copyright. 1871