The Washington herald., 1921-04-24
By MARK SULLIVAN.

ny AAe4~@-
with the Colombian treaty out
of the way, the ground is now
cleared for the great new measures
Of the present session. and as the
administration takes up the busi-
ness of making, It's constructiye rec
ord II is interesting to make sur
yey Of the field, as 1t lies before us.
The wish of President Harding,
which he expressed in asking the
senate to take up the Colombian
treaty as the nrst act OF his ad-
ministration, was based on two mo-
tives, both of which were IN the ma
ture of a cleaning of the ground.
He wanted the Colombian treaty
out of the way, in the first place,
as a prelude. sign of amity and
act of justice combined. which
should be the opening move in his
policy toward all Latin America.
His idea was that before asking
Mexico to meet the obligations
toward our citizens and our ma
tIon arising out of revolution. we
should first prove to Mexico and 10
all Latin America our own disposi-
tion to live up to every possible de-
mand of justice toward them.
Closes Old Controversy.
President Harding's second mo-
tive was one of housecleaning, so
TO speak. This particular treaty
has been hanging fire for eight
years and the controversy with
Colombia, which II Is supposed 20
close, is eighteen years old.
The first and most important as
pect of the field is the good will
with which President Harding
starts in to make the record of his
administration. You can go up and
down Washington in the frequent
contacts with every variety OF man
that we all have without finding
even among the most oealously
partisan opponents, any who fahs
to speak generously of the start
President Harding has so far mace
For the most part this Is just the
natural impression made by the In
crease Of acquaintance with his per-
sonality. -
Even the most suspicious critics
have been moved to make generous
concessions based on President
Harding's bearing in public; on his
patience in the tremendous strain
of an opening administrations; on
the firmness which has been dim
cult for a man OF his kindly tenn
permanent. but which he neverthe.
less achieves under the spur of de-
termination to do the right thing
on the pains that every one OBJ
serves he has taken to get good men
g. III. o0naiptmapfs This is an
effort which in the nature OF things
cannot always be successful, ano
which, therefore, is more apparent
to those who watch the White
House closely than Ii can be to the
public at large. Finally, his critic:
have been impressed with the sim
pie qualities of truthfuIness and di-
rectness which shine vividly out oi
his transparent personality.
Harding is n Leader.
From this ascendeney of Presi-
dent Harding in the judgment OF
Washington flows the first impor-
tant fact in any survey of the field
That fact is that President Hard
ing is the leader. No other indi-
vidual and no group. seriously con.
tends with him for this prestige. Al
the time of President Harding's
nomination the theory was widely
held that in the Republican man
agement Of affairs President Hard
ing would fill. so to speak, the role
of general manager. and that the
board of directors in the same pic
ture would be the Republican lead
ers in the Senate.
This theory. II may be added, was
shared by several of those same Re
publican Senate leaders themselves
In the campaign this theory became
one Of the two or three major issues
in the shape of the slogan that
Harding was going to be "the
creature oil a Senatorial oIigarchy. ~
This theory is now utterly dis
proved. AS it has turned out, Pres
ident Harding has made Just two
addresses to the Senate. and in both
he has. II you choose to express IL
colloquially. put the Senate in its
place. 1t is doubtful IL there Is any
parallel in our history for this
twice-repeated declaration Of a
President to the Senate and in the
presence of the Senate that there
must be on its part no expectation
OF any surrender of Executive pre-
rogative.
Firm Hand with senate.
On the first occasion in Decenbo-
ne said: something has been said
ABOUT the senatorial oligarchy.' OF
course every one here knows that
10 De bit of highly imaginative
ana harmless fiction. When my re-
sponslollities begin in-the Executive
capacity shall be as mindful of the
Senate's responsibilities as have
oeen jealous for them as a member.
put 1 mean at the same time to be
1ust as insistent about the RESPONSE
oilities of the Executive. Our gov
ernmental good fortune does NOT lie
in any surrender at either end Of
the avenue, but does lie in the CO.
ordination and cooperation which
becomes the two in a great truly
representative government"
The second occasion was in the
address at the opening of the pres
ent session in which he told the SEN
ate with the greatest possible gem
tleness Of language, but with COM
plete hrmness of spirit, that in our
foreign affairs they must remain
completely within the limits of their
constitutional function and must mo-,
attempt anything in the nature of
an initiation of foreign policy which
Is the prerogative of the Executive,
This admonition the Senate has
bowed to completely.
The foreign affairs which Presi-
dent Harding referred to will be one
of four fields in which, roughly the