The Washington herald., 1921-02-18
Declares independence As
Mccormick Urges Def
erence to Harding.
IDAHOAN'S NAVAL
IDEAS ASSAILED
Illinois Member Protests
Against Embarrassing
President-elect.
BY ROBERT BAHRY.

Senator William Z. Borah's dec
laration Of independence as a Re
publican Senator during the admin
istration Of Warren G. Harding was
delivered yesterday in the Senate.
The only surprise il oCcasioncd wHs
that he had been unable 70 restrain
himself until March 4, as the sons-
tor from Idaho would have. created
something resembling consternatior
had he elected TO announce he would
be blind follower OF the new sd-
ministratiOn.
hr. Borsh was moved to assert his
independence by an address br
Senator Medin Mccormick. OF M
nois Mr. Mccormick has Travelled
much OF late. He has visited Euro
pean and republican capitals. He
was in St Augustine last week.
Yesterday he spoke on diSsrma-
ment. No efforts were made to have
ii appear that his prepared speech
ran counter to the sentiments OF
Nr. Harding.
Opposes Borsk Proposal
Mr.. Mccormick re-echoed Mr.
HardinE's Norfolk ,NaD address.
lie, too. declared the United States
should have a navy second TO none
He opposed suggestions that Iimita
tlon OF armamCnts should be liked
on basis or "a British sea power
more dominant than ever in modern
history or that ARericsn ship
WFiEhts and EUnsniths should law
down their tools while Japan arms
/ herself He made several refer
cnces to the Borah disarmament
suggestions being embarrassing 10
the President-elcCt
q Coming from the Senator OF TW-
nois, whose tongue was ever sharp
/ in condemnation OF Democratiy
koW-kowinE 10 Woodrow Wilson.
whose voice was always loud IN
.proteEt against Presidential rIsurps-
ton Of Congressional responsibility
and power, the plea for dcferencs
to the will Of the new President
I proved too much for the Borsh
nerves
/ They snapped with a bang. and
Mr.. Me- 'OrmiCk'S otherwise well
timed address was pushed into tho
background by the snappy phrase
which fell from the Borah lips A
! field day FOR Mccormick Nievs EaNc
way to Borah oratory.
Says He Has Not Abdicated.
Mr.. Boah began by firEinE a. the
Mccormick teeth statements ap-
I nearing in the Mccormick newsna-
per in Chicago favorable TO the
. BCrah contention that tho gapitrI
/ ship should be in the been class
as a lighting effective. Then he add
/ ed
Il have heard much that Congress
should abdlcstC not only its Judg-
ment hut it's functions for fear Of
, embarrassing the President elect
Now ! am just as dsSirOus Of avoid
ing any emha rrassneUi 10 the prCF-
ident- elect as is the Senator from
Illinois We heard much during thc
past eight years with reference to
/ Congress abdiCafInE its funCtioHs.
I have not participated in those
charges hut want to say. with all
due respect to the Prcsident-eiect.
that ] have not abdicsted my funC-
IionS as a Senator during the past
eight years. and I will pot dc 50
during the next four years. f
II Congress sees ht TO sdvsruse
to the world that g has no judF-
mcnt, that il has no opinion that
tit has no conviction on a matter
concerning the whole human family.
the Congress may do so. but 1 viii
not be a party to It"
Responsibility UpOb CeHEreSS
It is the Borah contention that
Congress. by reason Of its absolute
control over appropriations for IN"
army and the navy. must assume the
responsibility Of deciding whether
the nation is 10 go on buiidin-
armamcnts OF deny the funds while
urging the President to call the
leading sea powers TO a conference
for a naval holiday.
il is the Mccormick view that to
delay and hamper the present de-
veIopment Of the navy" is to nam
= per and confuse the President elect
in the discharge Of the heaviest
duty which he has TO perform" that
, il is 10 "diSarm the President-elect"
! and compound tho dihculties OF
, the PresidCnt-eleCt"
In view OF Nj Borah's indepon-
: dence Of action during the cam
, paEn. il was not surprising that he
T should have determined to embark
/ upon a free-lanCe career during the
2 Republican administration. In his
declaration OF independence" an
, nounciug to the party leaders that
he would follow the dictates Of his
own conscience and not Of the
e white House or the caucus room.
Mr.. Borah. Il was pointed out, said
very little that Mr. Harding has not
said on several occasions. Tns
- President-elect, while in the Sen
ate, opposed the encroachments OF
the white House on the powers OF
E the Capitol. His swan song a. a
Senator stated his recognition OF
the Senate's jealousy Of its authori-
= ty, while asserting his plan 70 be
just as jealous Of hts powers as
President"
CovpyTirht, lsai, Pubic Ledger oo9