Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-04-07
TRYING TO- SMOOTH
OVER TREASURY ROW
Efforts Being Made to Settle
Patronage Differences With.
/. out Open Clash.
siTUATIoS ~ STILL. TENSE
Assistant Secretary Dover. HnrdInK'a
Friend. Pnuses Ira Work of "IInr-
dinHixinS" Hurcau Until President
Decides What to DO.
Hy Robert J. Ilcndrr.

'-'i'Eh .Nc"s StaH COrr0SDOndc
WASHINGTON. April s-ASsistant
secretary OF the Treasury Elmer
a l,"Ver may he "Hardingizcr." but
president Harding Is harmonizer.
For that reason, the threatened
political blow of In the Treasury De-
phrtment, az result or Dovcr's
'1iardingizing'' OF the bureaus In the
interest OF efficiency and economy.
may be smoothcd over without an
open clash resulting in rcsignatIons
For the moment. Harding liz con
sid"rinR the issues involved in tho
Il reorganization p!ans Of Dover with
an eve To eliminating the present
friction Dover wishes TO go ahead
with his work. but Is pausinE now
until harding decides whether m.
Proi'0Aeh shakc-up should bc Inn
med &c or gradual. In Erecting this
phus" Harding has made his first
move toward easing the somewhat
tense situation.
However a few things should he
Kept In mind in getting a proper
perspective on the Treasury row"
Dover. short. stocky. genial friend
or the President, was trained in IN.
same political school as Harding
rover was secretary Of tho Rcpuhli
can National Committee at the Tim.
marx Hanna. the g. .. rs famous
boss" was chairman Warren {;
j Harding AZ that time was a lieu
tenan, OF Hanna. Both are dyed in
,hc- Wool believers In the slogan lint
10 the victor belongs tn. Spoils
Dover was one ,of Iiarding's leaders
! curing The Inst campaign and hns
! long been political friend and coin
giant Of Attorney General Daurh
l crty.
Demanded by 'G. q. T.. Lenders.
many, Dover was brouyh, Ia
Washington by Harding to carry m
reorganization scheme demanded
-hE party leaders And there ly no
u"ubt III the mind Of any one taking
|" hinI. az he looks at you through
MS nose glasses. that party politics
constitute his law. and the Law nu.,
be enforced.
IN mnking changes he proposes to
MAKE IN the Treasury. he docs mo,
contemplate throwing on, all D.uo
Gratis and retaining only R.Duh,ica,,
put rather. retaining ONLY ,hosc
I'tm"'ra's and Republicans who
'ies. pom
Dover already has acted TO tho O..
vent "i making nearly 500 changes
IN departments under him. H.. IL
ready ana anSi"Iis TO go ahead. Ifc
mas his reorganization policy com
Pi''"d Tor all the departments uud.,
ms supervision and has submitted
III" plan To Harding. But. for m.
''"i''h' ms work has been halted
m
III ho' sure he said, how Tar
CO" go I'll no; know un,n the
president tells me"
On the strcagih OF Hardinr,s do
,iS'"h' commissioner Of Iutsrna,
revenue Blair. who has nn,a.aa
many OF Duvcr's plans. NAV or ma
mo- resign The row" has reached
lhe pom; now where Interest cen
ters chiefly In what Mellon viii do
Harding tells Dover to go ahead
mellon has indicated that he sun
ported R!aIr in the Iatt.r's differ
tnceS with Dover over patronage
sA'tnc leaders have whisDered mo
h.iIri that Mellon would resign If
harding wen; over his head in sup
port OF his friend Dover
Also II has been intima,cd tina,
Dover might resign II. after Hard =.
ing called him TO Washington to re-.
'"rE':nizc tho internal revenue Gus
IONS and prohibition bureaus he
repudiat"i Dovcr's rccommenda
tons.
HnrdinT for Peace.
The possibilities are FASCINATING
politically, but Harding is an cxecu-
tiv" who. unless sorc!y tried. is frs,
ana last Tor peace and harmony
: And Mellon. whose intention to re-
sign has been reported almost week :
~ since he took office. has wcathcrcd
so many Of these rumors and. In
t,r.t loo
rcversais Of his plans and recon-
mcndati"ns. that he nll,babiy would
survive another.
Congressman even the presiden,
left Mellon alone to reflection upon
the tax plans he recommended for
tn" next fiscal year. Congress ig-
norcd his tax proposals and over
rod, his objections TO any bonus
bill. Congress altercd--and tn
q. President yielded to ConGress--McI-
Ions plan for centraIizinp authority
ia the Secretary OF the Treasury for
refundnE foreign loans. other plans
and recommendation OF Mellon have
been run ov,\ roughstod. And in
each instance some one started tho
rumor that Mellon was going to re-
sign.
But 1t may be stated authoritative
ly that Mellon, knowing little about
sroliiical maneuveNng and caring
less. actually enjoyed these contacts
and conflicts with Congress. And he
has gone along unmoved al - in
Eistence of Republican leaders Upon
political shake-up In the Treasury
: department to rid the bureau OF
hold-ovcr Democrats.
When Dover came along to accom-
rlish this REORGANIZATION Congress
thought II was all over hut the
shouting. Mellon. however. takes the
stand that no such reorganization
Is In contemplation. Again he is In
the position of standing alone
against the wishes or Congress and
Min the possibility of a White House
rebuff for his attitude
Harding is trying 70 smooth out
: the wrinkles and believes nc will
succeed. HarmonizlnG conflicts with
in and between bureaus is not new
sensation for him. He has done II
before and he probably will this
time.
Child shot in Belfast street.
BELFAST. April "a s-year-old
Child was killed this evening In the