The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-03-29
HARDING. FAMILY.
SPLIT OVER
CANDIDACY
Announcement Called "Politi-
cal RIunder" Which Limits
Executive Activities.
By GEORGE r. HOLMES,
international News Service.

ST. AUGUSTINE. Fla, March 20.
President Harding's vacation party
has been enlivened in its closing
stages by an acrimonious dispute
among some of his political advisers
over the now famous Daugherty an
nouncement of the Harding, candi-
dacy in 1924. The end of the row
did not appear in sight today.
The. dispute within the Republi-
can family circle is not over the
accuracy OF the Attorney Generals
announcement, for all factions are
agreed that the President will be q
candidate to succeed himself; 1t
concerns solely the political strategy
of making such an important an
lnouncement at this time, year be-
fore the primaries.
Friends of the Attorney General
take the position that the announce
ment at this time affords a much
needed Qualification of the political
atmosphere which already was begin
ming to cloud up with half dozen
incipient Presidential boons getting
under way within the Presidents own
party. They contend, too, that no
harm can result from publicly stat
ing something that all of them
recognize privately, that Mr.. Hard
ing will accept denomination at the
hands of the next Republican ma
tional convention.
Will Limit Executive.
Those unfriendly to the Attorney
General, and some of this OppOsi-
ton dates back to the Harding pre-
convention campaign, characterize
the Daugherty announcement as "a
gross political blunder" and po-
litical strategy of the worst sort. :"
From now on, they contend, the
President is candidate and his
every executive act will be tarrcd
with that brush. Furthermore, they
contend when the President makes
his swing around the West this
summer he will appear as candi-
date seeking reelection rather than
President of the United States
making a perfectly proper obser-
walton tour of the vast country
over which he holds executive sway,
all because Of the Daugherty an
nouncement.
Mr.. Daugherty's opponents have
carried their protest to the Presi.
Gent himself, and have urged him
it Was learned today, to make a
statement on his own account
designed to modify the effect of
the Daugherty statement. Oddly
enough, the activities of the anti.
Daugherty faction came coinci.
dentally with a flood of rumors
and reports of serious disagree
ment between the President and his
and rumors, sufficient in volume
| 20 hA
Leon Hotel, which houses the Presi.
Dental party, were not substanti.
ated today by any development.
According to the Attorney Gen.
erals opponents, President Harding
is "displeased" over the Daugh-
erty announcement, and considered
it "inopportune, untimely and Ill
advised"
According to the Attorney Gen.
erals friends, the President is en-.
tirely willing to leave his political
future in the hands of the man
spokesman and closest personal
friend for many years.
President Keeps Silent.
These are the conflicting reports
that fit from pillar to post in the
lobby of the Ponce these warm
Florida days, and observers can
ray their money and take their
choice.
Whatever the President himself
really thinks about the whole affair
has not been stated, nor did there
appear any indications today that
MIR. Harding would break the silence
he has observed for ten days since
the announcement was made. 1t is
understood the President Is more
concerned with the quarreling among
his followers than with the timeli-
ness or untimeliness of the Daugh-
erty announcement. Meantime, he
continued to play golf today, and If
he had observations to make anent
the Internal strife among his sup.
porters, 1t was reserved for the sand
crabs that infest the ST., Augustine
links.
It was, however, strenuousIy and
officially denied on Harding's be-
half that there has been anything
approaching a disa greement be-
tween President Harding and At
torney General Daugherty. George
ID. Christian, jr.. secretary to the
President, characterized such re-
ports as pure bunk" 1t was
also denied officially that Presi-
Vlent Harding had ever said even
privately, that he considered the
Daugherty announcement ''inop-
perfume, ill-advised or untimely."
Keeps Busy on Links.
Perhaps" said an authorized
spokesman for the president, "if
Mr.. Harding had had his way about
It, the announcement of his can
didacy would have been deferred,
but neither this announcement or
any other that could conceivabIy
be made, could cause any dissen-
sion, much less a split, between
the President and his friend and
political manager of thirty years.
AFTER all, there cannot be much
harm in publicly stating what
! everybody has been privately con-
sidering as settled. The President
will be a candidate, of course, and
the close relations that have OBJ
| tanned between Mr.. Harding and
! Mr.. Daugherty for many years re-
main unaffected by the Miami an
nouncement. To say otherwise is
to romance, and nobody with any
| knowledge of the facts could say
| anything except that reports of dis
sension and disagreement are pure
| bunk
| The President went to the golf
links early today and spent the en-
4 inx - n.