Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1921-02-18
HARDING PROVOKING
CRITICISM ON ATTITUDE
REGARDING WILSON LETTER


The following quotations from W.
W Germaue's Washington letter of
February II.
Ar Harding, by ignoring estab-
liahed preCedeuts, which have made
II easy for outgoing and incoming
Presidents to facilitate the transfer
OF the White House from one to the
other. is inviting criticism nor only
from Democrats. but from a large
company of disinterested people. who
had assumed that the transfer would
be made in "a way TO provoke no an
favora Bile comment. More than two
weeks ago President Wilson person
ally wrote a letter to Mr.. Harding.
signifying a desire to cooperate with
him in the usual way. and asking him
what he would like to hav, done
about the White House luncheon at
noon on March 4, and the various
other things which. under the precc-
dents. would throw the two together
for several hours on that day.
The letter has not been answered,
indeed. its receipt has not even been
acknowledged.
A letter from any president of the
United States demands prompt at
| tentiOn and answer. Not to have an
swered this one places Mr.. Harding
in the unenviable light for the time
being of having failed to observe the
customary proprieties. II the fault
Is with his secretary, so much the
worse for the secretary.
Meanwhile. special dispatches from
| St. Augustine to various eastern
newspapers quote Mr.. Harding as
saying that he will ride to the Capt.
tOl in his own automobile. be sworn
in, read short message. and then go
| to the White House for a luncheon
that Is to be strictly family affair.
There are to be present, according to
the statements credited to Mr.. Hard
ing, a small company of his relatives.
II that is the plan, Mr.. Wilson and
Mr.. Harding will not ride from the
| White House to the Capitol. as has
been the rule practically since the
foundation of the government; Mr.
Wilson will not prepare the noon
| luncheon. as also has been the rule;
and the two men will not meet on
that day.
What Other Presidents Did.
II that Is Mr.. Harding's desire. 1t
! could have been expressed without
'offense In a reply to the Wilson let
ter. Not to have answered the let
ter, and to have permitted his plans
to reach Washington through the
columns Of the daily press. suggests
a violation OF the etiquette of the
occasion that 1t is difficult for WASH
,ngtOn to understand. When McKin-
ley succeeded Clevland he went to
the White House shortly before noon,
rode with Cleveland to the Capitol
In the White House carriage. rode
back with him to the White House
after the inaugural address. and with
Mrs. Mckinley and small company
Of specially invited guests. partook
of the luncheon that Cleveland had
ordered.
Roosevelt rode from the White
House to the Capitol with Taft, but,
as soon as the Inauguration was over,
made his way to the Union station,
where he took train for New York
He declined to eat the luncheon. al
though he had ordered 1t in advance
TO suit Mr.. Taft's wishes
Taft rode with Wilson from the
White House to the Capitol on March
4, 1913, and the two families sat
down afterwards to the customary
luncheon. Mr.. Wilson, having had
no word to the contrary, assumed
that the precedent was to be obsery-
ed on this occasion, and made tenta-
tive plans accordingly. But as l have
suggested. he has had no word from
Mr.. Harding. He docs loi know Of
ncially whether 20 pretarc any
luncheon az al, and of course. does
not know What dishes 1t should con-
s'st Of, nor how many are to be at
the table. All he knows. on the.
basis OF information now at hand,
is that he and Mrs Wilson are no;
to be present.
Prominent Democrats. of course,
have not been slow to say that par
t'sanship Is back of Mr.. Harding's
failure to do the expected thing,
they fOrtify themselves by calling
attention o several happenings
which they say clearly show Mr..
Harding's mind.
Governor Cox. 1t will be recalled,
offered to appoint the Republican
senator-elect from Ohio as Mr.. Hard
ng's successor. thinking in that way
to help the latter over small diff
ficulty. The offer was declined, and
Mr.. Harding did not resign from the
senate until after a Republican gov
ernor had seated himself at Column
bus.
Later. when Mr.. Harding was get
ting ready to sail for Panama, Sec
rotary Daniels offered him a battle
ship. The offer was politely declined.
On his return. he was offered the
presidents yacht. the Mayflower, to
convey him fro mHampton Roads to
Washington. There was another