Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-04-28
PRESIDENT 5 STAND
DUETS MUCH TALK
Of VAGUE Policies;
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
(Lcased Wire Service to The Journal.l
('ag6U 'lu5! IGdo0l


Harding has made American mem
hership in the world court OF inter
national justice almost an assured
fact. The president won to his side
enough Republican editors TO keep
in line a sufficient number of Repub'
lican senator's, who, together with
solid Democratic strength, will fur
nish the necessary two-thlrds to rati-
fy the protocol.
Mr.. Harding did not reach out
for Democratic support--he had 1t
already. In fact, the Democrats
were prevented from greeting him
with excessive enthusiasm, for he
took occasion to rap hard the idea
of American memberships in the
League of Nations and insisted the
United States under his administla
ton would not enter "by the side
door, the back door or the cellar
door" a fling that made the Demo
Gratis frown but gave many Repub-
ncans the satisfying thrill which
they really wanted before making
up their minds to support the world
court.
The president was on trial before
the assembled editors of the ASso-
ciated Press. 1t was not the world
court problem so much as Warren
Harding himself who was being
scrutinized. The corridors were
buzzing with political gossip all day.
Naturally when editors from all
parts of the United States get to-
gether they talk about political cur
rents.
DOubly Interesting
Mr.. Harding's candidacy for re-
nomination in 1924 accentuated this
feeling and made the atmosphere
seem more like a plea to a bi-parti'
san political convention if there ever
could be such a thing, than an or.
binary speech to congress, for
though there was no political aisle
to emphasize division, as is the case
in the house and senate, partisan
ship sat there just the same. 1t
was apparent in the applause and
it was evident in the comments one
heard after the speech was over.
A good many Republican editors
who correspond more or less to the
"irreconcilable" group in the senate
were disappointed-they didn't want
Mr.. Harding to make an issue inside
the party. They think he is COM
hitting political suicide. They are
unconvinced-this was apparent, for
example, in the leading editorial in
Frank Munsey'S New York Herald
today, which said of course Mr..
Harding was right in saying the
Republican party wanted world
court, but not this world court, be-
cause it was created by the League
of Nations, and that was a Demo
cratic creation. 1t suggested that he
start new world court.
To Force Party in Line
These editors will not be satisfied
to let Mr.. Harding get the benefits of
such waves of sentiment as he got
here in New York at the newspapers
gathering. They will keep hammer
ing away consistently as the 'irrec-
OAcilable' group with the League of
Nations group did, until the whole
Republican party is won to it's side.
The first line of issue will be to
take Mr.. Harding's own slam in his
speech here when he said: II would
not have it thought that hold this
question paramount to all others con-
fronting our government"
This gives opportunity for all
sorts Of proposals on Democratic is
sues which can be kept in the fore
ground. The ship subsidy bill was
killed by such tactics. Mr.. Harding
will have a slim majority to work
with in the next congress. The rad
icals will have enough Democratic
measures to propose and discuss to
keep the world court from, coming
up and while the Democrats will
help on the final vote, it is hardly
to be expected that theyswill assist
Mr.. Harding in the troubles with
his own party.
Personality Wins Friends
The biggest benefit that will &C
crue from the speech SO far as Mr..
Harding is concerned is the effect
on his own political fortunes. Many
editors had not heard him speak be-
fore, many had the impression he
was not given to definite statements
and was inclined to wabble on big
issues. They admired his positive
ness and commended the courage
of his stand on the world court even
though they may not all have con-
ceded his logic or argument. Mr..
Harding presented picture of deep
earnestness, of conviction, of a man
who was trying to do his duty as he
saw it. This was important to those
editors who hadn't seen that side
Of him before.
On the whole it helped Mr.. Har-
ding to come here to talk to his fel.
ow-editors-and unless the minority
in the next few months burrow from
within the Republican party and
change the present aspect of things
by intruding Democratic measures
of supposedly more Importance the
ultimate victory of the world court
proposal itself can be taken for
granted. There always has been
two-thirds vote in the senate for in
ternational corporations Mr.. Har-
ding knows it because he wanted
to enter the Leaguo of Nations him
self with the Lodge reservations at
tached to the covenant. And had
Mr.. Wilson accepted the Lodge pro-
posals and urged his followers in
the senate to take them, America
would now be in the league with
the combined votes of the same two
thirds who probably will put the
United States into the world court.