Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-11-23
HARDING MESSAGE
To PUT REPUBLICAN
PARTY IN JEOPARDY
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Geased Wire Service to The Journal.
(CopyriCht 1927

Copyright, 1929
WASHINGTON, Nov. 22.-Presi-
dent Harding today placed souarely
before congress an uIrlmatum-
either pass the bill salvaging the
American merchant fleet from fur.
Their loss, or take the responsibility
Of a destructive alternative. The
message of the president is fraught
with the most dangerous conse'
quences to the Republican party.
The partly must stand by it's leader
or wreck the administrations
chances Of succeeding itself.
Mr.. Harding is fully aware Of the
hostility of members of the Repub.
lican party from the middle west to
the ship subsidy program. Cour.
ageously he has chosen to fight. And
the bombardment of facts which the
president has started will not end
with a mere message. 1t will be
followed by personal conferences IN
a heart-to-heart appeal to stand by
the president, by the administrator
and by the principle of a united he
publican party. Insurgents there
are. Prejudices are numerous. But
against them all the president ar
rays the facts.
Discreetly Mr.. Harding attacks the
weakness Of the situation, the name
of the legislation "ship subsidy" he
tries to convert this weakness que
TO prejudice into a point OF strength.
He argues that government appro'
oriations for good roads are SUD
sidy. the war finance corporation
eranted subsidies, the money spent
for inland waterway Improvement
is a subsidy, and so on with DOZENS
of other expenditures which appear
to benefit a class, but on behalf OF
which it is claim that ultimately
the whole country BENEFITS.
Strong Case
Mr.. Harding, it is conceded III
washington, made out in his mes,
sage the strongest case Tor ms OIL
that might have been made. He ep-
itomized and emphasized all the arg
uments which, for nearly a year,
have enveloped the project OF gov
eminent aid to shipping. But the
KEYNOTE which will be taken UP by
his party q sociates, was the Idea
of reducing government eXpendl-
tl1res-the idea of economy rather
than further spending.
The president contends that the
government is spending fifty mil
lions a year and wearing out its
own ships. He proposed by the new
legislation that the government
spend not more than thirty millions
an economy Of twenty millions. 10
overcome that argument the oppo'
nents of the bill must show an al
tentative equally as good, If not bet
ter. Congress has permitted the
shipping situation to drift ever since
the war. Under Chairman Lasker' s
guidance operations have become
more efficient and business-like, but
even Mr.. Lasker insists that as a
business proposition more money
will have to be spent in the long
run if the bill isn't passed than II
it is.
The administrations strength in
this fight lies in the fact that the
opponents of the bill have revived
a pre-war prejudice against the
principle Of subsidy without offer
NlS ally Col1CLSL0 phOSAo Gill ~ eto~A
with the fleet which was inherited
from the war.
The case against subsidy is buat
largely on the idea that it will cost
the government more money and
the farmer communities Of the west
are represented as believing money
should be spent to help them-they
want a subsidy in the form Of rural
credit arrangements.
Meet Reaction With Farmer
Mr.. Harding must reckon with
that sentiment and the chances are
he will come to an understanding
with the farm element on support
Of their proposals in the December
session of congress.
For the moment, the president is
making the biggest FIGHT Of his no.