The Washington times., 1921-11-01

20 ers realize that
the only things for the National Com
mittee to consider Is effectiveness OF
organization.
With the party all shot to pieces at
the last election, and with no clear
issue on the horizon, the political is
sues cannot yet be defined.
No Guess ON Leader.
Nor can any guess be made about
the standard. bearer for 1924. II is
true that the more liberal forces In
the party tend TO center around Nc
Adoo. and that the conservative Dem.
ocratic leaders permanently look on
Underwood as their favorite. But II
Is also true that any man you talk
with will say that all the signs today
favor a dark horse as the Democratic
candidate three years from now.
What issue can fairly be called a
party issue today? Take foreign
affairs first. We stayed. by a crush.
ing majority, out of the League of
Nations and out of the Versailles
Treaty. Whether we did wisely or
not is a dead issue. Nobody but a
more sentiment for our undertaking
those obligations than there was last
November.
On the other hand, the Republicans
are In quandry. They are afraid
Of the very public opinion they have
aroused. They go into the conference
Of November II with one eye on the
economic facts and the other eye on
a public that they have taught to
fear any arrangements whatever with
Europe.
The other day was talking with
one Of the Senate irreconcilables.
You won a great victory" / said.
Can you organize It? Do you know
what you want? The United States
has cornered most of the gold in the
world. You doHt want imports.
What do you want Europe to pay us
in, to meet her debts?"
Debts Are Worthless. .,s
This man was frank with me. He
admitted that IL II were not for fear
an open minded and fresh view of the,
economic tangle.
He admitted that the debts to us
are worthless and probably worse
than worthless; precisely like the
money owed by Germany to France
and England.
But he said the public had swung
so much further than even some of
the irreconcilable leaders intended to
have them go, that these economic
matters, the most real matters to con-
slider. cannot be taken up frankly and
without fear. The scares worked up
TO destroy Wilson now confront his
conquerors.
Tariffs have become pretty nearly
meaningless, foreign trade being what
II is. The farmers bloc succeeded in
getting a tariff put on against Cana
dian wheat. 1t did not affect the price
OF wheat in this country a cent.
But Canada is now carrying on a
campaign to put a tariff on our prod
ucts, to get even with us. The tariff
issue will probably flavor the Demo
Gratis in 1924, but probably also no.
body will take much interest in it.
Taxation Big Issue.
Taxation is the other outstanding
issue. There, also the Republicans
are up tree. They start to make
a tax program on the principle
that it is hopeless to grade taxation
according to ability to pay, and
then they become alarmed at that
The McAdoo forces have this ad-
at st. Louis and elsewhere,
over other factions. They are clear
ana uncompromtsing They stand
for cooperation with Europe, for
graded taxation, for low tar,ff. for
strict Governmental dealing with tho
owners.
But they cannot choose the issues.
In the Congressional elections next
Fall, and in the Presidential elec.
ton two years later, the issues will
be made at those points whore the
break down. Nobody
can name those points now. because
there is not a single ma jor problem
on which the Republican attitude
has become definitely defined.