Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-03-18
HARDING ENDS
VACATION IN
FLORIDA TODAY
President Will Face Serious
Situation When He Again
Takes Reins
OPPOSES CONGRESS
Harding and Leaders of rarty Are
Far Apart on Many Important
Questions.

! st. Augustine, Fla, March lS.-
President Harding started for Wash
/ inrton today, after Today vacation
! in Florida, to face the most difficult
domestic situation which has yet con-
fronted his administration.
! He believes the immediate prob
lens involving foreign affairs have
been solved. His advices are that the
I four-power treaty will be ratified by
decisive vote in the Senate and that
if this comes TO pass, SUCK opposition
as NAV exist to the other. dlsarnla-
ment Conference treaties will dis
! solve.
! But he knows now. as he knew when
he left the capital, that he and Con-
gress are far apart upon virtually
every question Of domestic concern
now unanswered, that the breach be-
tween the White House and the Capitol
has continued to widen, and that his
nominal if not his actual leadership
of his party is being openly ignored
bv those responsible foi' Legislative re-
suits.
The President left Washington with
out notice to anybody, in order tAat
Congress might have a fair opportun-
itv to reflect upon the sharp issues
that had been raised between him and
that body. He has refused from the
first to have any direct communication
with the party leader whom he LETT
behind He has declined TO receive
emissaries from these leaders or to
exchange messages with them. 1t IS
suspected that he has found some
satisfaction in allowing them TO
.'sweat" over the hand .ts had dealt
them.
But the vacation is now over. The
President is about to rc-cstablish con-
tact with his party associates. and
the fight for the integrity of the Ad-
ministration's policies, if it can DE
called Il fight, is about to be resumed.
To be out Of harmony with a Congress
that he has studiously cultivated
even if he has not sought to dominate
its distastcful to Mr. Harding, but
diaprccable as it may be to him he is
prepared again TO face the facts as
they arg:
In the first place. the President and
the House are in radical disagreement
over the bonus legislation. They were
in DISAGREEMENT before he left Wash
ington and his absence has done moth
ing to bring them closer together. On
The contrary, the Ways and Means
Committee has gone ahead with It's
plan for certificate system of paying
the former. service men, GlSregardlnG
all warnings that have issued from
the Administration of the Executives S
posit!ve disapproval of that measure.
Nor is it assumed here that Speak
or Gillett. who detached himself from
the Presidential party yesterday IN or
dor TO confer with House leaders to-
uipht or tomorrow in advance of the
Presidents arrival on Sunday, will
bring about reconsideration of the
committees action. 1t appears at TINS
distance that the committee mas pro-
ccdcd too far to turn back
The Administration also faces Il
rccalcitrant Congress on the quest
ton of a national defense policy. Inc
President and his advisers still stand
For an army of not less than l37.000
men and navy of 10000 men. The
House appropriations committee, now
ever. has resolved upon siashing cut
in both directions. The PreSldent 5
hone in this connection rests with the
Senate, upon which body pressure VIII
be concentrated for a stronger de-
fcnse program.
Then again, the Administrators, Is
facing serious opposition to its ship
subsidy program on the part OF the
farm bloc in Congress: opposition
which has not yet been fully meG-
surcd. but which may prove formlda,
bic. Nor has the President received
anv assurances that he will have a"y.
considerable Democratic support al
the subsidy plan.
Once more the Administration finuS
itself under the necessity Of dealing
with pending claims against the GOV.
erment billion and a quarter OF
which arc on file at the department
of Justice alone. In addition there are
hundreds of millions in CLAIMS oe-
fore both the Shipping Board and the
Railroad Administration. These must
be adjusted first, then financed by
Congress, and some unpleasant lntor-
nation is soon to be laid before Con-
gress on the subject.
Finally there is the tariff to be
taken up. The Administration appears
willing to have this so over until a
future session of Congress: but there
is an insistent demand on the part of
House interests for action before the
summers adjournment. The Senate,
on the other hand, is in no hurry
about opening up tariff debate which
might run on for months.