The New York herald., 1922-03-21
the bonus bill II Il were treated as
,.arAl.a,, x,.~faet

Foreign Wars displayed uneasiness.
They were unprepared for the an
nouncement made by the Republican
leaders OF the House that President
Harding had bluntly informed them he
did not favor the certificate loan plan.
Legion and Foreign War spokesmen
had been led to believe by their Con-
gressional advisers that the President
could be brought around 10 favor the
bonus bill finally decided upon.
So great was the perturbation Of the
bonus propagandists that they fore
gathered tonight to devise ways and
means for exerting greater pressure on
the President and members of the
Senate. One of the most significant
Developments was the admission OF an
official OF the Legion that maybe we
have been fooling ourselves-or been
fooled
The most important incident of the
day was, naturally, the conference At
the White House OF the President and
six of the Republican leaders of the
lower branch of Congress. Floor
Leader Mondell headed this group. He
was accompanied by Chairman Ford
ney of the Ways and Means Commit
tee. Representative Longworth, the
ranking member of it: Chairman Fess
of the Republican Congressional Com
mittee, and Chairman Towner of the
caucus committee.
The fact that Secretary of the
Treasury Mellon had conferred with
the President for more than an hour
yesterday afternoon was not regarded
as a good augury by the representa-
lives of the House. Following their
unsatisfactory interview with the
President, all the bonus members of
Congress directed their wrath against
the Treasury Secretary incidentally,
they did not express an agreeable opin-
ion of Speaker Gillett.
The Speaker called at the White
House while the leaders were with the
President. Anticipating some action
when the House convened to move u
suspension of the rules to get the
bonus bill up before it. he did not wait
TO see the President. On leaving he
said he expected to return for con-
ference this evening or tomorrow.
Statement by SIondell.
The President and House leaders
conferred for more than two hours.
The only statement given out regard
ing it came from Floor Leader Mon
dell. As he was leaving the White
House Mr.. MondeIl said:
The legislative situation relating to
the bonus bill was fully presented to
the President, with detailed exp,ana-
ton of the provisions which remove
the menace OF excessive drafts on the
Treasury in the immediate future and
avoid any program Of added taxation.
The President went over the entire sit
uation with an appraisal of the COM
mitments made. I-e advised the COM
mittee that the legislation is a respon-
sibility of Congress, and in view of ex-
pressions previously made he did not
think it essential to offer any recon-
mendations."
The President himself made no an
nouncement regarding the conference.
Some OF the leaders who conferred
with him frankly admitted their disap-
pointment. In rejecting his position
they said the President lad declined
10 supplement his previous suggestion,
that sales tax be adopted for financ-
ing the bonus or the legislation post
poned.
One of the leaders said. however
that ''the President expressed SYM
pathy for our commitments TO vote
for bonus bill, but was not willing
to go 10 the extent of accepting this
bonus bill for the reasons he already
has given. The truth is that Mellon
torpedoed us without warning. I think
the President has been more influenced
ny him and the popular protests
against the bonus bill than anything
else.r
When asked il the President had
left on the minds OF the leaders the
impression that he would veto the
certificate loan bill the same leader
replied:
There isn't the slightest doubt in
the world that he will do so. Some
of the others think that he can finally
be brought around to take 1t. They
are mistaken IL words mean anything"
The demeanor of the leaders on leav-
Ing the White House confirmed this
statement. There was little question
that the majority OF them were fully
convinced that the door of the White
House had been slammed against the
bonus bill. 1t did not take long for
the distressed and anxious bonus Rep
resentatives awaiting the return Of the
House leaders 10 find out the exact
situation.
Previous optimism based on the hope
that the President would hold out
some announcement gave place to an
atmosphere of gloom.
On the way TO his seat Mr.. Mondell
dropped in on the Speaker 10 ask
whether he would recognize a motion
TO suspend the rules. The Speaker
replied that he did not think such a
course would be justified The Speaker
had just called the House to order
when Representative Garner (Dem.,
Texas arose and said:
Mr.. Speaker. l ask Unanimous con-
sent that the gentleman from wyo-
ming IMr. Mondelll may have two
minutes in which to open the store
house OF his information and let rs
know. if he will. about what happened
at the White House and tell us when
we will take up the bonus bill"
Garner Is Persistent.
Representative Campbell CRep
Esn) called for the regular order
but Mr.. Garner persisted in his re-
nuest.