The daily times., 1922-01-05
HARDING IS BUSY
At PRESENT WITH
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
The President Must Cast
About for Means to Help the
Republicans Retain Control
fo Congress in the Fall Elec-
tions; Unique Situation in
Finance Committee.
(By David Lawrence.)
Copyright, 1921, by The Daily

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 Administration in the hope |
some cure which will help the Re-
publicans retain control of congress
in the fall elections. Although the
Cabinet spent the greater part of
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
or take the initiative but
should examine carefully any pro-
posals made to her by foreign coun-
tries. Meanwhile the calling of an
agricultural conference by Secretary
Wallace, the consideration of 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
IF ho o11 a
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
peace 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
fuses to look upon the Conference as
a 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 le
. Secretary Hughes wrestle with thu
international questions and now il
concentrating more than ever on thu
tsituation in Congress. When it be
came apparent that Senator McCum
lber of North Dakota was next in lin'
Senator Penrose as chairman of tn
,all-important finance committee
there were no loud cheers from th
White House. Much has been writer
from Washington about the meaning
of Mr.. McCumber's ascendancy. 1t ha
political power from the east to tn
iwest-the triumph of the agriculture
bloc. But the significance of Mr.. Nc
e 'Cumber's sudden leap in to the mos
powerful place in the Senate
broader than that for the North Da
kota Senator is not owned body an
soul by the agricultural bloc-he
r. not one of it's prime movers althoug
rs he has gone along with that group o
ut many questions in the Senate. MI
ct Cumber has fight for reelection i
North Dakota next autumn which ha
IN more of a relationship to his pOsitio
ct on national matters than appears Q
Id the surface. In his day, Mr.. McCun
r. Der has been straight Republical
Id something of a "stand patter" an
CONTINUED on Page Six.l