The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1922-01-06
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
The President Must Cast
About for Means to Help the
Republicans Retain Control
70 Congress in the Fall Elec.
tions; Unique Situation in
Finance Committee.
(By David Lawrence.)
Copyright, 1921, by The Daily
TimnS

Copyright, 1921, by The Daily
Times.)
Washington, Jan. 4.-The empha-
sis has turned again from interna-
tional to national questions-or rath-
er from external to internal matters.
President Harding has started the
New Year with his mind fixed on
Strengthening out as far as possible
the economic situation which con-
fronts his Administrator in the hope
that the next few months will provide
some cure which will help the Re-
publicans retain control of congress
in the fall elections. Although the
Cabinet spent the greater part of
Tuesdays session discussing the part
America should play in the world
economic conference being talked
about in Europe, the policy in the
minds Of all no matter how divergent
the suggestions made was that the
United States should not assume the
leadership or take the initiative but
should examine carefully any pro-
posals made to her by foreign coun
tries. Meanwhile the calling of an
conference by Secretary
Wallace, the consideration of a new
tariff act which shall give the Presi
dent plenty Of discretion to fix rates
as conditions change, pressure to get
power from Congress to arrange for
a refunding of the allied war debt,
and the unique situation which has
arisen in the Senate Finance Com
mittee through the death of Senator
Penrose have brought about gener-
al situation which for the moment
far overshadows the Arms Confer
ence. Mr.. Harding whose hopes were
high at the outset because he believ-
ed other nations were as disinterested
as America, because he thought other
Peoples were as Jealous about world
rearc as are Americans, now comes
reluctantly to the conclusion that in
place of Germany other obstruction
lists have arisen in world affairs and
that the Arms Conference has done
we'll to achieve what it has. He re-
fuses to look upon the Conference as
IA failure though his disappointment
over the French refusal to permit an
agreement on submarines is undis-
|guised and pointed. France for long
time to come will feel the effects of
her attitude at the Washington con-
ference.
Within two or three weeks the
Conference will have passed into his
tory. In keeping with his policy from
the beginning, Mr.. Harding has let
|Secretary Hughes wrestle with the
international questions and now is
concentrating more than ever on the
situation in Congress. When it be-
came apparent that Senator McCum-
|ber of North Dakota was next in line
O Senator Penrose as chairman of the
,all-impOrtant finance committee,
there were no loud cheers from the
White House. Much has been written
from Washington about the meaning
of Mr.. McCumber's ascendancy. 1t has
been described as the transfer OF
political power from the east to the
west-the triumph of the agricultural
bloc. But the significance of Mr.. Nc.
Cumber's sudden leap in to the most
powerful place in the Senate Is
broader than that for the North Da'
kota Senator is not owned body and
soul by the agricultural bloc-he II
not one of its prime movers although
he has gone along with that group OF
many questions in the Senate. Mr.
Cumber has fight for reelection II
North Dakota next autumn which ha
more Of a relationship to his position
on national matters than appears ol
the surface. In his day, Mr.. McCum
lber has been a straight Republican
lsomething Of stand patter" On
IN luontinued or Pags 81