South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-03-05

fairs has the president pursued the
! conference idea. In two national
crises" in the past year he has
summoned 10 Washington leading
| figures in the nations financial and
| industrial life TO try to work out pro
grams Of betterment. These were
the unemployment crisis" and the
more recent agricultural crisis,
which is still with US.
Opinions differ radically as to the
benefits derived from these two
meetings Of best minds but in any
event they both adopted programs OF
| betterment and adjourned without
engaging in any fist fights or damn
ing the government more than US
ual.
In his contract with congress and
/ in attempting to keep n guiding
| hand on the course of legislation
the Presidents pursuit Of the con
/ terence idea" has been even more
pronounced. A score OF times in the
past year the party chieftains and
! the leaders in congress have gather
/ ed about the hOspitable Harding din
ner table in the White House 10 dis
| cuss affairs Of state over a good
| meal Sometimes democrats have
/ been included, although for the most
/ part the invitation lists have been
/ confined to members of the presi-
dents own party.
Just Talk Ii over.
Are things in a snarl at the cap
/ itol? Is the party success being en-
/ dangered by the stiff opposition Of q
minority in some committee? Is thi:
group or that group kicking over
the party traces?
Invite 'em down to dinner. and
wen talk it over and see what car
be done about it."
The first legislative conference
/ called a few weeks after the Hard
1 ings took UP their residence in Penn
I sylvania av.. created somewhat OF Z
/ stir i'm Washington. Perhaps Their,
was a precedent for it, but IL so i
] was so old that everyone had forgot
I ten it. and reporters flocked to the
executive offices in droves ina
night, staying on duty till long pas
/ midnight. At the end the presiden
1 himself came, bareheaded. TO the
big, broad portico and informed tn,
/ newspaper men what had been dis
cussed and accomplished.
Since thai first conference Of the
/ legislative heads of the government
almost a year ago there has been 6
steady succession Of such meetings
Some OF them have accomplished
much: some Of them little. but the!
/ continue regardless.
Washington Surprised.
Washington was surprised and in.
terested when they started. The
White House had been virtually
closed for three years-the Wilson,
had few dinner guests and did littl,
entertaining except for intimate per
sOnal friends. Now the capital ha.
+ become used to seeing white-shirteC
. members of the two houses stroll VI
TO the White House for dinner and +;
chat. It has been one of the great
est steps in the process of 'gettinl
back to normally"
Then there was the inter-depart
ment conference, i'm which all the
departmental heads and bureau
chiefs in Washington took jjart.
was inaugurated by Pres't Harding
and dashed into vitality by the pic
turesque profanity of Hell N Maria
Dawes, director Of the budget I
still meets ct stated intervals 10 lis
ten 70 the explosive advise OF Gen
Dawes on matters Of economy anC
cooperation.
Dawes Changed 1t.
The bureau chiefs had seldom me
each other before the initial confer
ence For years they had pursued
their individual ways, each bent OF
getting all he could for his own bu
reau I'm the way OF money, person
mel and supplies. If a bureau need
ed thousand brooms the purchas
ing agent went out and bough them
Z regardless CT the fact that som.
other department might have 1000
surplus brOoms.
The conference idea. vigorousl,
promulgated by the volcanic Dawes
changed that They now get 10
gether once in a while 20 talk owe
their mutual problems.
The outstanding feature OF Pres
Harding nrSl year, from an inter
national standpoint. has been. o
course. the Armament conference
4 Seven treaties and u resolution
grew out of the epOch-making event
and in them is Incorporated nearr
all the administrations foreign pol
icy that has thus far been disclosed
These treaties adjust many OF tn
international questions left pending
when the democrats retired a yea
ago. The far-famed zap dispute i
settled. likewise Shantung. The ma
tons Of the world have repledge,
their adherence 10 the Open Door II
= the Far Eas-, and they have likewis
pledged themselves 10 act as mora
trustees" for the interests Of pros
trate Russia The United States ha