The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-02-16
Democrats Are PIanninu At tack to Be Used in the Fall Campaign-May Carry Lower House
By HUGH W. ROBERTS Washington Buresu, The. Age Herald.

O0V Davidson Building.
 Washington February 15.-(spe- eial )-The administration Of Presi- dent Harding in two outstanding respects. Is today going through those tests which try mems souls.
 The administration is endeavoring to establish an era of perennial peace. It is also endeavoring to pay sble-bodied soldiers who came to the eountry's call bonus
 It cannot establish peace in ac- cordanoe with the eontractual agree ments recently entered into without abandoning work on new units of the governments navy. It cannot abandon work without dismissing in- ntmerable employees and thus adding to the list of the unemployed throughout the country. The admin istration by a conference, which sat in Washington, and otherwise, has sought to solve the unemployment problem.
 The administration cannot pay the soldiers bonus without adding 10 the burden of taxation. A reduction oi taxation was promise of the administration when it entered upon the duties of office.
 Political Exigeueie~
 The situation might have been brought about by consideration given. by the administration to political exigencies. It is certainly the nat ural result of hesitancy on the rart of the administration in taking a positive stand on one horn or the other Of the several dilemmas. 1t it. lustrates the futility of attempting e. dle-
 At any rate, that is the conten- ton of the democrats in Congress.
 The administration. in other words, on the eve of going to the people in the congressional campaigns this fall, has ben forced to decide either against paying bonus to 1000, 900 mtn or in favor of adding S3 per man, woman and child to the taxa tion burden.
 It has concluded to play to the soldiers.
 The administration. n deciding to respond to the provisions of the in ternational agreements wrought by the conference for the limitation of al mament, was compelled to go con trary to it's suggestion to corpora tions and municipalities, namely, that they give employment to the unemployed in preparing for future activity and Tn public works.
 In the navy yard in Washington the navy department has already dis missed 1,346 men. Similar reductions will be quickly made in all sections of the country.
 Two Arguments
 In the campaigns President Hard ing will say: We gave a bonus to the men who barred their breasts against the assaults of the enemy of the nation"
 The democrats will respond: ''Un- willingly the President, after hay ing killed bonus bill, accepted one when compelled to do so. And he added to the burden of taxation against the advice of his chief coun- sellors and the business of the United States"
 The President will say: "We se- cured the agreement of the great powers to abandon preparation for war, and thus will be able to reduce taxation made necessary by the con struction of superdreadnaughts."
 The democrats will say: "The Pres- dent called a conference for limita- ton of armament when forced to do  ocrats in Congress. And to abide by the agreements of the conference he nullified the effect of his confer ence on unemployment. For he in- sisntly dismissed hundreds of gov ernment employees who had served the country in the moment of its greatest distress"
 May Win House
 At the present time there is great deal of politics in everything tsat is said and done. The repub- licans are distressed with fear that tke democrats will carry the House. The democrats are hopeful that they will be able to carry the House. and thus impress the country with the certainty that they will win the next presidential election.
 From this. moment on therefore, everything will be sacrificed to fur ther political interests. The repub- llcans and the democrats are equally responsible.
 Regarding the above features both parties have already mapped out their campaigns. The arguments as outlined above have been outlined by the two national committees.
 Tn other words, the big fight Is all ready on.