Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-08-06
c. 0.P. CRISIS NEARS
AS CHIEFS GATHER
| TO OUTLINE POLICY
Many. Problems Arise as
Death Takes Leader on
Eve of Campaign.
BY ROBERT T. SMALL.

from all sections of the country al
ready are gathering in Washington
for a series of important party con-
Serences to be held soon after the
funeral services for the late Presi-
dent Harding are concluded. Many
of the leaders will go to Marion
for the interment on Friday. re-
turning Immediately to the capital
so that the conferences affecting the
entire future of the C. o. p. may be
begun by Monday next.
In a way, these conferences will
be a parallel to the best minds"
gatherings in Marion after the cleo
ton of Mr.. Harding and prior to
his inauguration. There will be
more Of a party tinge to the Wash
ington conferences. however. for it
is realized that the death of Presi-
dent Harding. almost on the eve
of new presidential campaign. has
confronted the republicans with un,
expected problems, requiring sound
thought and mature Judgment.
Many Presidential Bees.
Naturally one iof the first acts of
President Coolidge w 10 announce
that he would forward 10 every way
possible the policies ~, the Harding
administration. This statement was
taken, and should be taken, at its
full value. 1t does not mean, how
ever, that Mr.. Coolidge will be barred
from having some policies of his own,
and IL is in consideration of his
course in that direction that the party
leaders as a whole are interested
Mt. CoolidGe's first instincts are to
consult as far as possible with his
colleagues of the Senate in mapping
out his future political program All
indications are that he will find the
upper branch of Congress. over which
ne presided for more than two years,
extremely difficult to deal with. The
senate as at present constituted, does
not go very much on sentiment And
furthermore there are number OF
presidential bees buzzing in the Sen
ate. That will not make some of the
senators predisposed to meekly fol-
TDS;t the dlctateS or new man in the
mite House who may cast his own
NeW england farmers hat into the
ring before many months have passed
Sends for Brandegee.
president Coolidge recognizes that
the Senate will have much to do with
his own career. That is why one of
his first acts was to send for Sena-
tor Frank Brandegee. of Connecticut.
and that is why his first Sabbath rest
was broken for a two hours confer
ence with the leader of the Senate
irreconcilables. Brandegee has al
ways been one of the strong men of
the battalion of death" He has not
talked quite as much as some of the
others. for he has no personal poltf-
ha hoc
been an earnest worker in the ranks
against anything that might commit
e"e United States to any part or par
eel of the league of nations or to
the world court which is functioning
under the league. Mr.. Coolidge knows
tf1e 'effeGGvenessp Frank BraStfe gee
Un the senate floor and in the Sena tie
cloakroOms. -
The new. President, although in
close association with the Senate ever
since March 4. 1921. has not made any
particularly close friends in that
body. He knew. however. that Bran
degee would tell him the truth; give
him as nearly correct estimate of
the present temper of the senate. as
could any man in it, BraHdegee is
plainspoken man. Mrs. Coolidge
might call him blunt Mrs Coolidge
wanted to know the Senate from the
inside" Frank Brandegee gave him
what the man in the street would
call the low down.
Senate Not Reassuring.
1t can be stated with all frankness
that the Senate story is not an al
together pleasing one to President
Coolidge. Neither is it reassuring to the
party leaders at large. The republi-
cans in the senate are torn into
many factions. This is because go
many OF the senators are individu-
alists first and party men second.
Possibly some of them might place
the party even further down on a con-
SideratiOn list. The mere fact that
the party is facing a national crisis
means nothing to the individualists.
They had mapped out a course ot
action before President Harding died.
They will follow it just as closely I'M
der the new helms man at the White
House.
There is no doubt but that the
Senate leaders have agreed among
themselves to try to persuade Presi-
dent Coolidge to soft pedal on the
world court issue They can truth
fully tell him that so far as the re-
publicans in the Senate are concerned
the world court idea is not popular
and there is not. the slightest chance
for a ratification of the Harding pro-
posals at the coming session. In these
circumstances pressure will be brought
to bear upon Mr. Coolidge to go through
the form of presenting the world court
proposals as framed by MIR. Harding,
and then to let nature take its course
in the Senate.
Test to Come Soon.
Some of the senators will go so far
as to tell President Coolidge that If he
chooses to make the world court oil
any other. form of close international
the brief White House period which
lies before him mis- administration
will go upon the rocks. They will
urge that he dispose of the court is.
sue as quickly as possible and then
turn his attention to the pressing do
mestic problems that confront the
country. 3.
The politicians believe that the
coming election will be fought out
on domestic issues The republican
leaders know that the farmers must
be pacif1ed, and they feel this can be
done only through some sort of RENE
dial legislation. which will be in eff
feet a guarantee of the farmers crops
each year. Even If it be granted that
closer world cooperation might oper
up world markets to the American
farmers. the politician whose fate Is
to be determined in 1924 cannot see
that this indirect remedy would bs
speedy enough for his political good
There is every indication that JUS
as soon as the period or nationa
mourning is over President Coolidge
will be plunged into a political vortex
The manner in which he weathers the
first tempest that descends upon hin
will mean much to his political future
Copyright, 1921
pnV Alto WITHIN CIIES