New-York tribune., 1922-03-16
CiI'ett's Opposition to Ac-
ton Monday, Under a
Suspension Of Rules,
Halts Committee Plans
MOndclI TO Confer
With the President
Backers of Measure Fear
Result if Legislation Is
Opened to Amendments
Prom Tto T-i6nue's Washington surca,

~" ''e fr'ouhr : washington Eurrnu
WASHINGTON, March 15.-Nothing
is certain tonight about what NAV
happen TO the soldiers bonus bill. az
drafted by the Ways and Means Com
mlttcc, when it reaches tho floor of the
House. Chairman Fordncy, Majority
Leader Mondcll and other Admjnistra
tion chiefs in the lower house arc at
sea AS to plans for consideration of
the measure. A decision on the pro-
cedure to be followed hinges upon a
number of factors In the situation. Of
which possibly the most important is
the attitude of Speaker Gillett toward
the proposal Of the committee to put
the bill through under suspension OF
the rules next Monday.
Reports from the Presidential PARTY
IN Florida circulated to-day credit the
Speaker with declaring he vill not
recognize Mr.. Fordney or any ono else
who attempts to call up the bill under
suspension Of the rules. This unde
nabe right Of the chair. if executed
would completely disarrangc the com
mlttec's program and force the bills
proponents to seek a special rule pro
vldlng for its consideration. Should
TINS latter course be rcsorted to and
the bonus bill be presented on Tuesday
the Speaker could not refuse to recoc-
nizc Chairman Campbell of the Rules
Committee. MIR. Fordney, however, is
bent on avoiding that method, for if
would necessarily throw the bill open
to amendment and long drawn out de-
bate, with the possibility of fatal re
suits to the legislation.
Await Conference With President
Speaker Giilett is expected to return
Saturday afternoon. Fle will be here
but few hours and then go TO Massa-
chu5etts TO fill speaking engagement
on sunday night, with the expectation
OF being back in time to preside on
Monday. He undoubtedly VIII be in
| tervlewed by the leaders and the steer
ing committee on Saturday. The con-
terence is expected to bring things to
a head
Developments to-day indicate that
the Fordney committed now stands al
most alone in the demand for forcing
the bill through the House in it's pres
ent form Majority Leader Mondell an
nounccd that he would see President
Harding imm mediately after he gets
back to the White House and irtimated
that until then all plans will be held
up. His move is regarded as greatly
lessening the chances for realization
of the Fordney program.
wv e can't go on unless there is
agreement with tIo p,oc; -o;J
MIR Mondell. "There is nothing definite
about suspendng the rules aud taking
up the bill on Monday"
Feeling on the whole question is
running so high among members of the
House generally it was declared, that
the White House conference, which
may be attended by Mr.. Fordney and
severa others. will develop some plain
talk. Most majority members are
at the same time want to stand with
the President. They have been led to
believe the new bill will be satisfac-
tory both to the veterans and Mr..
Harding. Most Of the Ways and Means
Committee still cling to that belief.
and as a result of the conflicting state
ments and uncertainties that surround
the whole question they are clamoring
for a showdown.
Committee Hats Program
The House steering committee. rep
resenting all the clements in the House,
this afternoon, after wrestling for the
last three days with the problem of the
parliamentary procedure to govern con-
sidcration of the bonus bill, abandoned
its program to await the results of the
conferences with the Speaker and the
President.
1t was suggested that in the event it
is decided to go ahead with the Ways
and Means Committee plan for bring
ing the measure up on Monday, the re-
sponsiblity may be shifted to the
shoulders of Representative Joseph
Walsh, Of Massachusetts, now acting
Speaker. Speaker GiIlett, it was pointed
out, may find it impossible to make
train connections in time to get back
to the House Oh Monday, and should
he not be in the chair and should
Chairman Fordney call up the bill at
that time Mr.. Walsh would be forced
to make the decision. He is said to be
opposed to the present bill.