Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-03-07
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Ueased Wire Service to The Journal.)
Copyright, 1927

|
WASHINGTON, March 4.-One
year Of Warren Harding as president
of the United States.
The. partisan eye sees only won
derful achievement" or terrible fail
ure," as the case may be. Opinion
outside of Washington cannot be &C
curately measured from here. Opin-
ion inside Washington cannot be de-
termined from the propaganda is.
sued from both political headquart-
| ers, for the purpose is either to
create a good or bad impression.
In the privacy Of conversations
not meant for public quotation,
| when the pad and pencil isn't Wis
ible and the numerous legislators
are really telling what they honestly
believe, true criticism and estimates
| are made of the Harding administra-
ton. This correspondent will en-
deavor to reflect that concensus Of
opinion here.
The Republican view, Of course.
differs from the Democratic. Never
theleSS the Democrats will concede
that there were many good things
done by the Harding administration
and the Republicans will provately
|
and undone are not so good.
Take the Republican introspection
first. President Harding is looked
upon as man who has tried to plav
ball in the regular Republican way.
His embarrassments Of sectional is
sues such as the agricultural bloc
raises are admitted. He has not
tried to interfere in the exercise by
congress of it's preroga tives. He has
refused again and again to indorse
movements in congress looking to-
ward eXtraVagant expenditure of
money.
His Budget Achievement
lie mas made real beginning on
the budget through Director Dawes
ana has at least started the wheels
OF business administration. The
Republicans will differ as to the
amount of leadership Mr.. Harding
$ soWn in handling congress,
Many will say he has not led
enough, that he has hesitated and
lost ground by so doing. Others saw
ne has moved too slowly in making
decisions. ALL will agree that in
summoning the arms conference he
achieved something big. AS to his
CABINET, some members have come
up to expectations, some have not.
But on the whole the Republican
view is that President Harding has
made the best of the situation which
confronted him when he came into
power and that he has the conf
oence OF the country because he in.
tends to do more.
rake the Democratic view: Where.
ever 1alrminded Democrats gather,
the arms conference is admitted tn
nave been valuable political asset
Tor Mr.. Harding though it is too
early TO say what the final verdict
vi tne Iour-poWer pact or alliance"
as the Democrats call it, will be
Curlously enough those who praise
MT. Harding for calling the confer.
ence see in the act a SEQUEL tn Woo,
row Wilson's efforts at international
cooperation.
criticism Of the Harding sdnainis.
tration on domestic issues is CON.
Ilned to no single subject. The
democrats privately think and nuh.
llcly say the last tax bill was
nonstrosity. They point to the def.
lclts IN the budget ais the answer to
republican claims about economy
ana they fear that the Republicans
are gong to erect a high tariff wall
mat will cripple foreign trade. The
democrats don't believe the econom.
&c situation would have been half
as bad throughout the United States
cooperation with Europe either
through the League of Nations or
membership on the reparations COM
mission could have been accom-
pushed during the past year. Mr..
f1ardlng himself recently took oc-
caslon to write Senator Frelinghuy-
sen' OF New Jersey, Republican, his
regret that congress had tied his
hands and prevented American mem.
oerShlp on the reparations commits
sion.
Feared Nationalist.
Inc impression one gets in execu-
tive quarters is that President Hard.
ing would have liked to cooperate IN
economic questions with Europe but
reared the nationalist group in con.
greSs.
One paradox of the situation which
most Republicans and Democrats
VIII admit is that President Harding
IS politically stronger with the coun.
try than is the Republican congress
IL is freely predicted by both sides
that the Republican majority will be
cut uoWn by the elections next ALL
tl'mn. Thus far the Democrats. Az
minority party, have not been very
actlVe. Senator Underwood's policy
9r giving the Republicans plenty Of
rem and fair chance has prevailed
respect for Warren Harding as
az individual is not confined to one
party. He is we'll liked, even be.
loved. Only the extreme partisan
Will deny that Warren Harding is
one OF the most popular presidents
with official Washington who has
appeared in this generation. Even
the Democrats who admit the cold.
ness of Woodrow Wilson, repeatedly
say that if Mr.. Wilson had had the
personal magnetism of Warren Har.
d,hg' and If Warren Harding had had
INC aggressive intellect of Woodrow
wilson, history could regard both as
IDEAL presidents.
Exceeds Expectations
Summed up, the Democrats will
ADMIT that Warrea Harding is a
better president thar they thought
n would be. The Republicans will
agree that congress has done very