Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-04-09
HARDING GRAPPLES
WITH QUESTION OF
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Continued from First Page.)


TO lay before the President Western
senators interested in the appolnt-
inent or a successor to the late Milo
-. campbell of the Federal Reserve
b1ard had candidates to suggest
BUT on the whole the question of
Nnether or not the President should
take the much-talk ed-of western trip.
together with the natural elements
OF the political situation, over
i ShaooWed In Importance the routine
questions.
Many Oppose Trip.
WIN Mr.. Harding go west as con-
tenipiate1? One report is that unless
WIS harding is able to GO the Presi-
uent VIII not go either Another is
, that until he has sounded sentiment,
especially among his advisers, he will
| make no ofhcIai announcement of his
plans. The objections being raised
10 the trip are mostly from that group
OF the Presidents advisers which be
ii"Fe II would be Il mistake for him
u campaign for himself at so early a
/ cate and that he could not escape Civ
ing the impression of d campaigner
IN his own behalf in view of the
announcement Of Attorney General
Daugherty that Mr. Harding would
De renominated by the next conven-
tion.
Between now and June there will
De plenty of time for all-around dis
self Will be here in week or SO. and
IL Is safe to predict that no final posi-
ton Will be taken by Mr.. Harding on
the subject Of the western trip till
ne conSults with his closest friends
and political mentor who now is re-
! Superatine in ASheville, y. c.
Mellon Gets Attention.
Apart from the interest in the
Presidents return to the White
House. after an absence of five
weeks, the statement issued by Sec
rotary of the Treasury Mellon at
! tracted most attention TODAY Mr..
eminent had just collected for the
year 1922 "A fourth of that years tax
eS, indicating that S70.000.000 more
had been turned in than in the pre-
ceding year, when higher SurtaXeS
prevailed. was variously Interpreted.
Mr.. Mellon himself said he believed
this was convincing evidence Of the
necessity Of revising even further
down the surtaNes. bat with the rec
ord votes already made in Congress
in the last year on this phase Of tax
alton, it seemed improba BILE that any
such step would be taken. The reduc-
tion which now is in effect was OBJ
tanned only after hard struggle in
Congress and ever since then there
has been talk OF putting the surtax
rates back to the 1927 schedule. THIS
! has proceeded mostly from members
Of the farm bloc. republicans and
democrats.
Generally speaking. the tendency of
! the radicals will be to put the surtaxeF
back where they were and it is be-
lieved Mr.. Mellon has begun "a defen
,sive campaign against such a move by
arguing for further reduction. He
| isn't waiting for Congress to recon
vene but is giving publicity to his
side of the case. so that he will be
~ h.. nffA nsiN irc Of LOFT ci @
when the next Congress meets.
Effect of Statement.
Based on all the elements of the
situation, especially the predominanCe
OF radicals in the next Congress, 1t is
improbable that Mr.. Melons recon-
mendation for lower surtaxes will
be adopted, and it is unsafe to con-
duct business on the premise of lower
rates SO long as Congress is made up
of such large number of radicals.
1t is true that among the democrats
are many who believe in the wisdom
of Secretary Melons recommends =
ton. A number of democrats. inClud-
ing Senator Underwood of Alabama,
helped the republicans with the last
reduction of surtaXeS, but in any agi-
tation in the next Congress the likeli-
hood is that the democrats would line
up with the opposition to administe
measures and put the burden of diff
Guilty on their partisan foes. This is
the usual course Of politics. and
makes impossible for the time being.
anyway. coalition Of conservatives
from both parties
Mr.. Melons figures may have the
effect, however. of preventing a re-
turn TO the higher surtaxes. and there
are many who think this was his real
motive. rather than further reduction,
which is generally regarded as i'm
possible to attain
Copyright 1923