The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-07
HARDING DEPLORES.
 GROWTH IF BLOCS. IN UNITED STATES.
Last VeStige of SeGtionaIism Has Been Destroyed, Ex-
 eCutive Says


 he did not believe there was "a yes tige of sectionalism of the Civil war left in the United States" President Harding in an address delivered at dinner given in his honor tonight by the city of Augusta, deplored any de- Velopments of classes and organza- tion of blocs in the republic.
 There is menace to the nation" said the President "in the develop ment of classes and in the organiza- envy and jealousy. Let us be on guard against developments of envy and jealousy"
 IS HoNORED GUEST
 AUGUSTA. Ga, April 6.-Citizens of Augusta gave a dinner tonight in honor of President Harding, the fourth executive of the United States to visit the city In the history which dates back before the foundation of the republic. The others were George Washington, William Mckinley and William Howard Taft.
 Leaders in the life of Augusta and this section of Georgia joined In hon bring Mir Harding at the dinner, at which other members of the presi- dential party were guests. About zoo persons attended.
 D1IeL auuresses were made oy Thomas J. Hamilton, editor of the Augusta Chronicle; Maj. Julian M smith, Benjamin E. Pierce. vice pres ident of the Augusta Chronicle Pub fishing Companyi Rodney s. Cohen, commander of the Georgia depart ment of the American Legion; Fed eral Judge William H. Barrett, and Judge Henry c. Hammond, all of Au- gusta.
 Farewell Party.
 Responses to these addresses were presidential party, including Brig. Gen. Charles F. Sawyer, the Presi- dents physician, and Edward B. Me Lean, publisher of the Washington Post. The final address of the eve ming was made by the President who spoke briefly and informally.
 The dinner was given somewhat as a farewell to the President and his party, who will leave here tomorrow evening for Washington, after hav- ing spent a week here. MT. Harding will play his final round of golf to- morrow forenoon on the Augusta golf course and during the afternoon with Mrs. Harding will review the school children of the city.
 Members of the presidential party read with interest, but without the prediction made in Washington to- day by Vice President Coolidge, that Mr. Harding would be renominated and reelected.
 League Not Issue.
 Another statement published local ly that aroused considerable interest among members of the party was the assertion by former Senator Hitchcock, of Nebraska, that the League of Nations would never again be an issue In a presidential campaign but that the United States would eventually become affiliated with the league. This utilization, Senator Hitchcock was quoted as saying, would come in easy and na- tural manner and not as the result of bitter political fight.
 Senator Hitchcock. who led the fight in the Senate In behalf of the Versailles treaty, said the United States already had begun to drift toward membership in the League and in support of his statement cited the Presidents recent recommenda- tion to the Senate that the United States accept a conditional member ship in the international court of justice, a creation of the treaty of Versailles.
 Predicts Domestic Fight.
 The next presidential campaign will be fought about domestic is sues" said the former Nebraska senator. 'BuSlneSS conditions Will have a large bearing on the out come of the race. If times are good lid money plentiful it will. of course, be a hard matter to supplant the administration in power. If busi- ness conditions are not so auspici- ous the republicans will have an enormous handicap in their effort to remain on the throne"
 MT. Hitchcock then was quoted as expressing the. opinion that business would not be as good next summer as now indicated and that slump, while not as alarming as the one of 1920, was hanging over the coun- try.
 The former senator named num- Der of democrats who might he said, be selected as the party's standard bearer in 1924, but declined to pre- cict the selection. Among those named were Senator Underwood of Alabama, William G. McAdoo, Henry Ford, Governor Smith of New York, and James M. Cox.