Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-05-28
EX-PRES|DENT TAFT +;
WILL Be Chief 5.
JUSTICE OF u. s.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Leased Wire Service to The Journal.)
ICOnYright. 1921. }

WASHINGTON. May 27.-Presi-
dent Harding will name former Presi-
dent Taft as chief justice of the
intention as disclosed by those who
have discussed the matter with him.
Mr.. Harding is not likely to de-
lay an announcement. The more time
elapses the more candidates appear
and the more hours must be given
to the consideration of appeals from
friends Of the candidates. Mr.. Har-
ding. is having enough troubles fill
ing important positions without add
ing to his cares. He has yet to find
a chairman of the shipping board. He
has yet to name an ambassador to
Japan. He has dozens of appoint
ments to make.
Should congress create DEPART
ment of welfare, there are many
candidates for that job, but it is
coming to be understood that Briga-
der General Sawyer, the presidents
physician, in whom he has the ut
most confidence, will be named for
that place.
Aside from appointments, the
president finds himself with a COM
pick situation in congress. The big
geSt jobs still are undone-making
a permanent tariff and enacting a
new tax law. He feels relieved that
the senate hasn't crippled the Amer
lean navy by reducing the personnel,
and though it is disquieting to see
the Republican ranks divided so
early in the game, it nevertheless
is comforting for the president that
the Democrats did not see fit to be
petty partisans, but contributed four
teen votes-sufficient to save the
program from defeat.
The unanimity with which Senator
Borah's proposal that the president
call disarmament conference was
passed by the senate may be per-
picking to the outsider who recalls
that the Borah measure met at first
with determined opposition which
later melted away.
The answer is that with the OUT
cry for disarmament as a means OF
reducing taxation, the administra-
mere request for a disarmament
conference. 1t was feared that if
some concessions were not made to
the advocates of a disarmament con-
ference, they might go further and
actually try to secure the passage
VI lCS lSldIlOH WlllCu ulu ICuuCC e
American armament even in advance
of action by other powers.
The Democrats, of course, voted
for the Borah measure, because it is
identical with a paragraph inserted
by Representative Hensley III naval
Wilson administration whereby the
president was authorized to call a
disarmament conference.
There is nothing in the old statute
or the new law which compels the
president to call a conference of the
powers to discuss disarmament.
Proposal Harmless
The time of the conference is left
to Mr.. Harding's discretion. That
makes the Borah proposal harmless
from the viewpoint of interfering
with the freedom of the executive
and that's why. when the admins
tration forces began to analyze the
true value of the Borah amendment,
it was decided that fighting energy
might better be reserved for an
casion.
Meanwhile the defeat of Mr..
Borahs suggestion that the person.
mel strength of the navy be cut down
indicates clearly that the adminis-
tration will be able to get through
least without serious injury being
done to the American navy as a first
line of defense. All that the adj
wanted with respect to
the army's size was not granted and
it had been feared that similar fate
would be met by the naval program.
The coalition of Democrats and Re-
publicans is something new, but 1t
proves that on many subjects at
least President Harding can count
on support from both sides of the
political aisle. This would be par
ticulary true of the foreign policy.
Briefly the insurgency against Pres
ident Harding's policies thus far
manifested is not strong enough to
urnrrN him