The New York herald., 1922-02-16
Harding, Accepted as
Party Leader, May
Offer New Plan for
Gratuity.
PROTESTS GROW LOUD
South Adds Her Voice in
Increasing Volume of
Dissent.
MANY VISIT EXECUTIVE
White House Telephone Kept
Busy-Subcommittees
Hold Meetings.
BY LOUIS SEIBOLD.

Special Dispatch to THE New York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington. ID. G., Feb. Is.
The furious bombardment directed
by every section of the country
against the proposed bonus raid on
the Government Treasury and pri-
vate business enterprise has COM
PEELED the advocates of the project
finally to admit that President Har-
ding is the actual as we'll as the
titular leader of the Republican
party.
It is to the President, whose
leadership was ignored and disputed
in previous legislative matters, that
the proponents of the bonus scheme
have addressed Macedonian cry for
help. AS one after another of their
fantastic proposals for financing the
deal between the promoters Of the
bonus raid and aspirants for re-
nominations to Congress have been
discarded as impractical. undesirable
and even grotesque, the harassed
supporters of such proposals look
only to the White House for rescue.
Much Anxiety Displayed.
! 1t has been many a long day since
! the members of the two houses.
| jealously asserting their legislative
"prerogative" and resenting "Execu-
/ tnt len n1oxy yaH
much anxiety over events ~ the
White House-or rat'er the lack cl
them-as was exubit1d in bnth the
| Senate and House today
1he cause OF their perturbation
vas the deliberate attitude pied
by the President in ioalirs with the
bonus ideas submitted to him by the
leader az TIE campaign to impose
add ,ional financial burdens on the
Government and people to raise
money for gratuities to ex-service
men.
The President announced yesterday
that he did not regard with favor the
Congressional proposal to countenance
heavy issue of bonds to raise tie
bonus money. He then said he would
announce his official disapproval OF
the scheme in a letter to the joint
subcommittee of the Senate Finance
and House Ways and Means commit
tees which have been trying unsuc-
cessfully for a month to develop
sources of revenue that would prove
acceptable TO TIE Government and the
people.
The President intimated he might
submit a financing plan for the con-
sideration OF Congress which. in his
judgment. might be less irksome and
certainly less absurd than most OF
those presented to kim. He did not
say when he would send his letter.
Await Harding Suggestion.
Senators and members who have
been coerced by threats of political
reprisals from the professional bonus
propagandists in and out of the Ameri-
can Legion spent great part of their
time during the day in making in
quiries of the members Of the joint sub
committee regarding the momentous
document expected from the White
House Many OF them personally
visited the Executive offices of the
President and the telephone switch
board at the White House was iangling
in response 20 anxious inquiries.
TIE President conferred with sew
eral members of Congress during the
day and spent the entire afternoon in
framing his decision Cand.possible sug
gestions) regarding the troublesome
bonus situation. It was said at the
White House tonight that his letter
may reach the committee tomorrow
morning"
The members OF the subcommittee
held three meetings during tho day.
but as the Presidents letter had not
been received adjourned without even
looking at some OF the belatcd eN-
hibitions OF Congressional financial
sapiency
The Congressional proponents Of
the bonus continued to insist that
measure providing gratuities TO eN-
service men he passed in both houses
and let It go at that. None of them
would venture an opinion on just how
the money was TO be raised. n grea
majority appeared TO think this detail