Evening star., 1921-12-02
QUICK ALLIED DEBT
ACTION IS SOUGHT
President Also Anxious for
Early Vote on Tariff, Rail
Funding and Shipping.

President Harding is especially
anxious that the bill providing for
the refunding of the allied debt be
taken up by Congress Immediately
after it meets next week, and that
it be passed without unnecessary de-
lay.
He has made his desires in this re-
spect known to a score of senators
and members of Congress during the
past week or so, and 1t is understood
that he has, through this personal So
licitation, received the unanimous
support of these men to press the
measure.
The executive also is known to be
anxious for the early passage of the
tariff and railroad funding bills.
and also for the enactment of legis-
lation providing government aid for
American shipping interests. Party
leaders are agreed that the message
which the President is now engaged
in preparing for presentation to Con-
erences to these matters with the eX-
ception of the allied debt bill.
Confers With Senators.
Details of the legislative program
were discussed last night at the White
House between the President and
Senators Penrose of Pennsylvania,
Curtis of Kansas. Lodge of Massachu-
setts and Watson of Indiana. This
conference followed dinner to which
these party leaders were invited.
1t is now the belief that President
Hardings message to the new Con-
gress next week will deal Principally
with two subjects-the tariff and the
merchant marine.
OF the tariff, Mr. Harding is expect
4 1,,- p1n TO hn hi fn dnr GO
to say that its revision and passage
at the earliest possible date are ur-
gently necessary, and that it should
be stripped of such provisions as
would endanger or unduly delay it's
passage.
Concerning merchant marine ques-
tions, Mr.. Harding is expected to take
definite stand for the granting of
some sort of ship subsidy, probably in
the nature of preferential rates and
routes, as supplementary to the grant
ing of free tolls to coaStwiSe shipping
through the Panama canal 1t was
expected also in the same quarters
that the President would discuss sec
ton "a of the Jones act, dealing with
the abrogation of trade treaties by the
executive.
Study of the situation was said to
have developed a feeling on the part
of administration officials that it
"
to carry out the provisions of this
section.
Tariff matters, Senate leaders in
sisted, will occupy the prominent po-
sition in the message. 1t was assert
ed that Mr.. Harding would ask that
rates in the House bill, now in the
hands of the Senate finance commit
tee, be fixed on the old basis of in
voice values rather than on the
House provision of American whole
sale valuation. His reason for that
stand, according to some of his coun-
cilors, was that he had been assured
it would be better to apply the new
system piecemeal than by employing
the plan on all commodities at one
time.
To that end, it was stated also, the
President is expected to urge an op-
tional provision in the measure, en-
powering him to apply the home val
ue basis here if, after certain surveys,
it is found to be advisable or neces-
sary Such course was regarded by
congressional tariff builders as obvi-
ating the necessity for computing the
rates on what opponents of the Amer
lean valuation plan describe as un-
known quantities.