Evening journal., 1922-03-18

"the President will be here on sun
day. He will speak for himself
He did not intrust me with any mes
sage to deliver to the leaders"
That the bonus fight has entered
new and perhaps final phase was
manifest IN both houses yesterday
Comment in the Senate indicated
belief that President Harding would
stand by his guns and refuse to be
further involved in the Congresslon-
al mess over the bonus
At any rate, Senators OF both par
ties seemed to think that the scheme
to raid the Treasury for the benefit
Of able bodied men would be held
up. as the sales tax proposal Is CON
occasionally unpopular. The only
avenue left open by the rejection OF
previous suggestions for financing
the bonus and the pronounced op-
position from all sources to the Ger
/ tihcate loan plan. in Senatorial opin-
ion. was to postpone legislation as
suggested by the President
The feeling that this would hnally
be the outcome OF the vigorous as
sault on the Treasury conducted by
the bonus claimants also gathered
force IN the House The opponents
Of the certificate loan plan there hop
ed that It would eventuate In that re-
suit at any rate and even some Of the
| ItanrnoanfQIlNna
feared that 1t would.
Their appeals to Chairman Ford
ney of the Ways and Means Com
mlttee and Leader Mondell for in
formation as to the prospects of a
roll call-which after all Is the chief
concern of the vast majority Of mem
brought little comfort.
The fact was Mr.. Fordney who
has been compelled to shoulder the
burden Of providing the straw for
making the bonus bricks. did not
appear to be quite as Interested In
the outcome OF the fight as he was a
week ago. He gave the Impression
that he had performed his Job when
he induced the Republican members
of the Ways and Means Committee
to put over the certificate scheme
after abandoning the cash bonus
feature OF previous measures. In
other words, the buck" was auto
matically passed to Majority Leader
Mondell, whose attitude on not only
the bonus daht but other Legislative
projects has reflected his open an
tagonism to the President, his op-
hafvU Al
latest example.
The wyoming Representatives
Messiah OF Green River" as the
bonus propaga ndists style hlm-as-
sumed full responsibility for manag-
ing the fight beyond the stage where
the Ways and Means Committee has
landed IT, He did not. however, APP
pear to he as optimistic as some OF
his distressed associates expected.
He insisted that he would &c
through with the plan agreed upor
by himself and Mr.. Fordney becaus,
Z no alternative was possible Tn,
majority leader, whose Senatoria
aspirations are held by Democratic
cities to depend on the favor Of th'
politicians in the American Legion
said bluntly that he would try e
bring the hill up on Monday undei
q a suspension Of the rules.
3 He admitted that II the attitude o
o Speaker Gnlett continued TO be a
represented the only avenue ope
u would be to bring in a new set o
Q rules which would hog tie IN
House." as one OF the Democrat
e opponents OF the bonus scheme cha
y acterized Il.
= Under this plan the new rule
;. would limit debate to a couple q
I hours and prevent the introductio
n OF amendments no the certifcat
e loan bill The chief reason urged q
j support OF preventing amendments
which suggestion is decidedly un
q popular with the members who dc
o sire to make speeches for campaig
Z purposes, is that It Will head OF
y many members who favor the restor
{ alton OF excess profits and othe
( war time taxes which were abolish
y ed last year.