Evening star., 1923-03-31
VACATION A SUCCESS.
by DAVID LAWUENCk.

by DAVID LAWRENCE
81. AUGUSTINE. Fla. March ~ -
PRESIDENT llardings vacation has been
i distinct success. Few business men
couiu say a. much for tA. President
hi. mas amazed even his intimate friends
deta'hment. Seldom Is d chief execu-
i've able 10 get similar rest in the White
House. notwithstanding the Isolation
that IS possible there with q corps Of
secretaries and usheIs. The very atuIos-
phere reeks with responsibilities.
When Mr.. Harding left Washington
ne dldnt even take personal stenos-
rapner TO handle code messages or 10
take dictation. He Was determined thar
nc would transact only the rnos; impor-
tant business and he didn't ,xpeci to
Sci aside any hour OF the day even for
routine.
Now Working Part of Day.
Not until this week did the Tres
dents program change. He now -
working par; Of the day and viii
continue to do the same at Augusta
II almost another Mr.. harding who
IS tarkling the tasks OF the presi-
Jaded being who YEARLY bade good
bye TO the National Capital a month
ago.
Refreshed and stimulated by abso-
I,st' 'hc freSldent goes back TO
his job the end of the coming week
prepared for the hardest kind Of a
siege. With Congress away. the ma
tions executive will occupy the CEN
ter OF the stage by himself for the
first time in many years. No Longer
will the news Of Congress, ibc
speeches and controversies. compete
IGr attention On the first pages. Mr..
Harding will have better opportu-
nifty for detailed consideration by tho
q r,
great deal to the President. for
upon the impression that he makes
IN the next few months will depend
10 great extent whether any sub
/ stantial opposition TO his candidacy
Tor denomination will be DEVELOPED
Notwithstanding the fact tina, at the
moment his friends arc sereuely con-
fident Of the outcome.
Cnn "Iakc or Break" Future.
Mr.. Harding can make or break"
his political future i'll the next few
months and nobody knows that bet
ter than he does himself. With the
eyes not only of the politicians in
his own party but those OF the other
party focused on the President he
can become the center of attack as
Wen AS aggressive offense. His in
stinct Is to tread cautiously and
play safe" avoiding fight ana con
troversy. This has been possible in
the hrst two years of his admins
tration: but. the political bomba Nj
ment from the opposite camp has
slreacy begun and Mr.. Harding is
being urged to answer attacks and
keep his own viewpoint constantly
before the public.
The Presidents Instructions to the
tarin commission: to broaden it's In
quiry on the prices OF sugar. as they
= .,,-tR
milton Of the necessity Of this kind Of
warfare in politics. There will prob
ably be more OF IL when the President
gets back to his desk In the White
House. The trip across the country.
to- be begun in June, Will, of course.
afford the best method Of dealing
with attacks against his administra-
ton, but the SageSt political advice
usually offered is to do things first
and talk about them afterward.
Not Stripped OF Much Power.
Before going out to the country the
President has the opportunity 70 do
several things without the aid of Con-
gress, for In him Is vested wide dis
cretionary powers. On many public
questions Congress has not stripped
the executive Of SO much power since
1920 as might be imagined, and the
administration is still In large
sense IL one-man government. The
! much latitude by Mr.. Harding, but he
is after all. responsible for practical
| ~ all of their acts and rarely is an
/ important policy put into effect with
out his decision.
i The European situation, to be sure,
| affords Mr.. Harding a chance to re-
cover lost ground with that large
group in his own party which be-
! lieves farm prices will be improved
and the general prosperity of this
political cooperation with Europe
J Secretary Hughes has confined him.
self to the lines of policy laid down
! by Mr.. Harding and with due recog-
the republican party which the
! league of nations issue aroused. But
z ever since Mr.. Hughes has been Sec
retary Of State and Mr.. Harding has
been In the White House. Congress
has been in practically continuous
session and no move in foreign at
fairs could be made, not even the
writing Of a forceful diplomatic note
| on international cooperation, without
running the risk Of having that move
fore the administration had really
, had the chance to complete its
diplomatic maneuvers.
Foreign Policy Up.
The President has been repeatedly
| told that he must help Europe In
| some practical way and that there
are lots of things he can do in an
economic direction without commit
ting the United States to any political
entanglements abroad. Mr.. Harding
now has a free hand and one of the
| first activities on his part after re-
4 IL.
consult with Secretary Hughes and
1 his cabinet on possible development
of the administrations foreign policy
/ to encompass these economic consid-
erations. The Ruhr situation momen-
tariIy impedes progress, for even il
1.-THE President were disposed to go
forward and draw closer to Europe