The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-12-11
RESIGNATION MAY
be THE OUTCOME
CooIidge's Unbending Atti-
tude Toward Farmer Is
The Cause
ny RAYMOND CLAPPER
(LcaSeH Wire TO I'VE AEe-Hernld.)

tLcaSeu Wire to The Age-Herald.)
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10.-A rift is
growing between President Coolidge
and Secretary of Agriculture Wal
lace, which may lead to the latter's
resignation unless reconciliation is
applied promptly.
The trouble arises from the fact
that Coolidge and Wallace view the
troubles of the farmer through diff
ferent eyes. COOLIDGE trained in the
conservative, New England school of
economics, believes the farmer must
help himself, and that the govern
n3ent must not tinker with economic
expedients.
Wallace reared on Iowa soil, where
the well-being of the farmer is re-
garded as a public rather than a.
private matter, insists the govern
ment should go TO the rescue of the
farmer, just as It has helped the
railroads and the merchant marine.
Starting with this fundamental
difference of viewpoint, the two men
have found themselves differing on
many points.
There are circumstances which in
dictate that Wallace has not been
taken into Coolidge's confidence to
the degree to which a cabinet mem
Der is entitled.
Wallace Not Consulted.
For instance. last summer, when
the question of farm relief was be-
ing agitated so actively, Coolidge,
without consulting Wallace, dis
patched Eugene Meyer, and Former
Congressman Frank w. Mondell,
both of the war finance corporation,
on a tour through the west for the
purpose of formulating an admins
tratfon program on agriculture. Wal
lace was not apprised of this en-
terprise until 1t was publicly an
nounced at the White House.
nnpOSed RI no
question of relief measures in the
hands of the war finance corpora
ton. Eugene Meyer. formerly a
Wall street banker, has been criti-
cised as unsympathettc by farm rep
resentatives, and Frank w. Mondell,
majority leader of the House last
year, was not regarded as a friend
of the farm bloc.
Wallace felt, therefore, that Cool
idge had selected two men who were
not especially SYMPATHETIC to the
farmers. He told friends later that
Coolidge had made mistake and
that the reaction of the farmers had
been Sunfavorable.
Nom another chapter has been
written. The President, in his mes
sage to Congress, adopted the recon-
mendations of the Meyer Mondell
commission rather than those of
Secretary Wallace. Coolidge spurned
the idea of government export cor
poration to finance food shipments,
although Wallace had strongly
recommended that the President in
dorse 1t. Then, a few days later,
Wallace issued his annual report to
the President with an abstract in
which his export corporation plan
was prominently featured.
O o
WaIlace's Pointed Comment.
1T Is just as well to keep in mind
that both industry and labor are
beneficiaries of government action
and that such action during the war
and the two years following have ad-
ded not little to the farmers diff
ficulties," Wallace said pointedly in
concluding his argument.
1t has been rumored that Wafiaos
is TO retire in the near future and
that Ms place VIII 80 to Howard NJ
Gore of West Virginia, now assistant
secretary of agriculture. There is NO
confirmation of this report. which
probably arose from the knowledge
that there is a distinct lack of ac-
cord between Coolidge and Wallace.
However, WaIlace's resignation may
be looked for in the spring unless
there Is change in the situation