The Washington herald., 1922-01-22
Presidents Speech Ready
For Opening of
Conference.
TRUE CONDITIONS
TO BE EXPLAINED
Unity in Agreement Key.
note of Success in Meet
ing Problems.
The farmer will have his innins

representatives of the agricultural
interests will endeavor to work out
a plan Of salvation for their inter-
ests in a conference that is fathered
by President Harding.
There will be 325 delegates here.
They will represent every phase of
Industrial life. But, according to
Secretary of Agriculture Wallace,
who called the conference by direc-
tion of President Harding, two
thirds of them will actually repre-
sent agriculture.
May Attack .BIoc..
and workers. will be represented.
So will be the various organizations
Of capital and investment. The pro-
gram will be outlined by President
Harding. He completed his speech
l. t night. 1t will be delivered at
1880 on Monday in the ballroom of
the willard Hotel
The President expects to explain
his views on the farm problem. He
has assembled much informant ton re-
garding the exact conditions facing
agriculture IN this country. 1t was
AooN tiat
an assault upon the so-called agri-
cultural bloc in Congress. He is ex-
pected to point out that alignment
of the self-constituted representa-
tives Of the former without author
ity from the people they claim to
represent, Is a grievous mistake.
He also Is expected to rather frank
ly point out that unless there can
be unity in agreement II will be
impossible to afford the relief that
must come to prevent bankruptcy
for the tillers Of the soil.
Harrison Scores Cenference.
Yesterday in the Senate, Senator
Byron p. Harrison, of Mississippi.
leader of the Democrats in the alb
sence of Senator Oscar w. Under
wood, who ID. now . member OF the
Harding armament conference and
not working hard on legislative
matters at present, bitterly assailed
the conference. He alleged that II
was called to steal the thunder
of the agricultural bloc in Con-
gress. He also declared that the
proceedings win develop a battle
for control between the dirt farm
ers and the railroad and financial
interests.
However, Secretary OF Agricul-
ture wallace declared that there
will be no strings on the conference.
It has been called, he declared, to
find a way out for the farmers of
the country, so that they may save
their farms and retain their posi-
tion in the national life.
The Secretary pointed out that
the conference will be the master of
its own destinies, and that, mas
much as there are some two-thirds
Of the delegates practical farmers.
suggestions that they will be
swayed by political considerations
were more or less fantastical.
warm" Time Expected.
The developments of the coming
week will show who is right. One
thing was certain last night. and
that was that the conference will
be distinctly warm one from the
start. There will be very little poll
tics in its operation. Delegates now
on the scene stated that they in
tended throwing the "searchlight
Of public opinion" on the exact ag-
ricultural situation no. matter
whose OK was gored," and tina
they will refuse to have any part
In trying to develop for Congress a
safe and sane political panacea for
existing economic ills. ~
= There is very distinct proba-
bility that before the conference is
many hours old. it may take the bit
In its teeth and run away. The
al
mitting their appreciation of Presi-
dent Harding's kindness in calling
the gathering, said that they were
very hopeful that the proximity of
the Capitol dome and the White
House would not influence a single
delegate to considering political ex-
pediency in their decision. And it
was suggested in administration
last night that there will
be no real feeling Of opposition in
the White House should this prove
to be the case
That, of course, Is the hope for
the success of the conference the
interested parties admitted last
night. Should there be any en-
deavor to restrict its operations the
agreement must be considered
worthless in the opinion of omcial-
dom generally.
Conditions to BE Defined.
To lay the groundwork for the
deliberations of the conference, the
farming situation of the five big
agricultural regions OF the country
will be presented by a representa-
tive farmer from each of them. E.
B. Cornwall, of Middlebury, VT, will
outline the situation in the North
eastern States; James w. Morton.
Of Athens, Ga. the Cation Belt; A.
Sykes, of Ida Grove. Iowa, the Corn
Belt; John H.. Hagan. of Deering,
N Dak., the wheat regions. anG
Fred Bixby, of Long Beach, Cal.
range country.
Following is the program for to-
morrow:
Monday. 1890 a. m-Invocation
by James=S. Montgomery, chaplain
of the House; addresses, by the
President of the United States: The
Purpose of the Conference, by Henry
Wallace, Secretary of Agriculture;
Prices and the Present
by & Sydney Anderson,
chairman of Joint Congressional
of Agricultural Inquiry.
Afternoon, session, 2:30 o'clock
Continued on Page Too.