Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-05-26
Special TO Indiana DAFT. Times
end phfIaEeInhia Public Led ger !
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.


BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.
WASHINGTON, May 26-Many Repub-
lean leaders agree that it is bad strategy
for the Republican party to minimize the
Importance Of the Washington. conference
as 1922 campaign issue They consider
its results the best fighting material at
the command OF the Harding Admins
tration.
II Senator Watson's speech at Indian
apolis is intended to be the real keynote
for the congressional contest soon TO
rage throughout the country, they believe
a tactical mistake has been committed
IN soft-pedalfng the conference. 1t ought,
IN their Judgment, 20 be the trump card
In the g. o. P. card and played promptly
and necessarily from now until election
day.
Senator Henry Cabot Lodge perhaps
because Of his intimate association with
the eonfeTence-strongly is of that
opinion. Il Is shared III other Repuh-
lican senatorial leaders. Shey Will tell
you that interest in the conference is far
from dead-that Ii Is the easiest thing
in the world TO arouse the average poll
teal audience to appreciation OF It's broad
and heneficenr results.
SAY CONFERENCE
STANDS ADVERTISING.
Experience has shown various Repub-
lican leaders that the conference has only
to be advertised in popular language TO
make Main street" understand that no
greater boon ever befeIl the United States
than the conferences inception by Presi-
dent Harding ar its successful conduct
by his plenipoteatiaries.
The people are glad 70 have Il made
plain that the conference banished a
japanese American war to the Point OF
extreme improbab.Iity. They rejoice to
hear how the fOurpower treaty has re-
moved the Philippines from the danger
OF attack and capture By Nippon. They
are ready enthusiastically TO applaud the
story OF how the Hughes program for
limitation OF naval armament not only
has checked the race in competitive
preparation for aggressive war. but
stopped the future squandering OF count
less millions Of the taxpayers money.
All those things-brass tacks results Of
the CONFERENCE.-THE themselves. Repub-
liean leaders say, 10 the finest sort OF
legitimate campaign.
Il IS an open secret that such a view
OF the conferences value is not uni
versaIy shared by G. O. p. strategists.
One element among them. the rank and
file organization class, is inclined to look
upon the conference as too high
hroweQ an Issue 70 make popular
appeal. Also they say, 1t has become
ancient history. They assert it is diff
cult to "sloganize" It for rough and
tumble congressional campaign Pur-
poses or talk IT IN language that gets
across" 10 the average mass meeting.
ELECTORATE INTERESTED
IN ECONOMIC MATTERS.
What the national electorate just now
Is most interested IN, the organization
stalwarts think, is business and taxation
That is why, you viii hear. President
Harding is getting the steel magnates
and the railroad executives 70 stretch
their legs under the White House table
with him and talk reduced working
hours and cut rates Tie President IS
represented as having his ear inteln
gently TO The ground and as hearing
mainly from that quarter that the coun-