Evening star., 1922-07-14
TANGLED AFFAIRS
OF PARTY GIVING
PRESIDENT WORRY
Bonus, Subsidy and Other
Issues in HuIIabaIoo at
White House.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

pected climax in the Harding admin
istration. The visit of Senator Lodge,
republican leader, to the White
House today accentuated the tan
gled condition of affairs, which, far
from giving the administration a
summer of vacations and lassitude.
such as republicans were wont to
have in pre-war days of normalcy,
has brought maelstrom of worries
and unsolved problems.
Senator Lodge talked with the ex-
of his errand was to tell Mr.. Harding
that many republicans would like to
sidetrack the ship subsidy bill and
do sundry things with reference to
the tariff and the bonus. on which
Mr.. Hardings advice was desirable.
The President knew from newspaper
accounts of the republican conference
held during his absence in Marion
just what are the plans of the lead
ers. SO he pleaded excessive work on
the rail and coal strike situations
as legitimate reason for declining
TO enter into A discussion at this
time of the legislative situation.
Little Time to Confer.
Practically all the time Mr. Harding
has been back from Marion has been
consumed in either the railroad or
coal situations and he hasn't had an
opportunity to check up by personal
conference with friends on Capitol
Hill to learn just what is the situa-
tion.
- The congestion of problems is al
most unparalleled. 1t looks more
The coal operators and miners are
muiling over the Presidents proposal
for arbitration by commission. The
railroad situation is getting worse.
Marshals and deputy marshals are
unable to prevent disorder and federal
troops are being held in readiness for
action. Mr.. Harding has tried to be
deliberate and patient. There are
those who think he should have in
sisted upon immediate acceptance or
rejection Of the plan he offered to
the coal miners and operators and
threatened action by Congress as a
possible solution If the parties didn't
agree. The delay given in consider
ing the plan of the President has re-
suited in the inevitable raising of
obstacles and barriers in both camps.
Delay. moreover, in dispatching fed
eral troops to trouble areas on the
railroads may prove injurious, judg-
ing from the pleas coming from af-
fected zones. The government has
been loath to intervene with the full
weight of its authority, but the situa-
tion is rapidly compelling such a step.
Program in Jeopardy.
Aside from the critical developments
in the rail and coal strikes the en-
tire Legislative program on which the
republican party had expected to go
tions is in jeopardy. Mr.. Harding
wants elasticity in tariff making. SO
as to make the schedules conform to
inevitable changes in economic ccndi-
tions. Republicans are themselves di-
vided on the merits of various sched-
u1es, either now being debated or as
yet not formally before the Senate
Mr.. Harding may have to be the ar
bitter of these differences. Some of
the disputes are SO serious that many
republicans would prefer to sidetrack
the tariff until after the elections.
The agitation for a soldier bonus
law is undiminished. and the cham
pions of the measure want to see
action no matter what happens to
the tariff. On top of this is the ardent
desire of the President to put through
a
achievement. Mixed up in the the
problem is the wet and dry fight
over the sale of liquor on govern
ment vessels outside the three-mile
limit. The House of Representatives
is in recess until August Is. waiting
already acted upon by the House.
Should the members of the lower
house come back and find little ac-
complished since they left the Capt.
tol the dissatisfaction over the Sem
ate delay is bound to grow.
Congress Seen Drifting.
Opportunities for decisive action
and aggressive leadership on the part
of the chief executive are numerous.
Congress is drifting along lines of
least resistance. If it could have its
way it would patch up the tariff bill
hastily, pass the bonus and adjourn
by September l. to give time for cam
paigning. The. President has said
he would call Congress into extra ses-
sion at once If 1t failed to act on the
ship subidy measure. He cannot af-
ford to retreat and his party does not
dare to administer defeat to his
leadership just before the elections
in which the whole republican party
will again ask for support.
Industrial strife, political disanec-
tion. Legislative tangles. midsummer
temperatures all combine to bring the
climax of the administration not quite
two years after its election. Primary
results are being analysed to discover
national trends, but without attempt
ing to say what the future holds in
store politically the facts OF today's
crisis force the conclusion that the
Harding administration Will be MADE
or broken on what it does In the next
three or four weeks of Its political
life.
Copyright. 1921
WORLD FLYER AT BAGDAD.