Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-08-17
AID FOR PRESIDENT TOPIC
AT WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17:-Presi-
dent Harding's death, attributed
primarily to overstrain resulting
from the exacting and onerous du-
ties of the chief magistracy, has
aroused national leaders again to the
need of doing something to tighten
the burden hat rests upon the man
in the White House.
One proposal brought forward is
that a new office OF Assistant Presi-
dent or Assistant to the President he
created. Another contemp,ates the
establishment of a new governmental
bureau which would relieve the Pres
ident of all routine business. Still
another suggestion is that the Vice
Presidency be made an office with
administrative and executive func-
tions and responsibilities.
All these ideas have received con-
sideration from time to time for
years past. Woodrow Wilson's break
down when he was making his IA
nous swing around the circle in his
drive to put over the acceptance
rof the League of Nations emphasiz-
ed the wisdom of some such action
and there was much talk along that
line then. But it began and ended in
discussion. Nothing was done. Now,
however, the Harding tragedy has
stirred up a do-something sentiment
that doubtless will find expression at
h approaching session of Congress.
Editorial comments from all sec
tons of the country and the *
pressions of men prominent in pub
lie affairs have been practically
unanimous in their insistence that
measures be taken to the end that
the man who is called to the Presi-
dency shall not virtually be required
to sacrifice his life or his health.
But what to do about it is an
other question. None of the propos-
ais thus far advanced has anything
like general support, and each of
them has weaknesses hat are OBJ
vious upon even superficial examin-
alton. At the same time it is recoi.
nized that the innovation, when it
is inaugurated, will be so f~ar-reach-
ing in Its effects that it is expected
Congress will be exceedingly slow to
act, although an emergency may be
said to exist. When any such change
is made, it is pointed out, the duties
of the President will not only be
made less arduous, but the entire
governmental structure as it has
been erected in the course of a
century ard a half may be shaken
to its very foundations.
Essentially A One-Man job
The great difficulty in the way of
accomplishing what is SO generally
desired is thai under our form of
government and system of politics
the Presidency is essentially a one
man job. The President is what he
is because he has supreme and COM
plete executive authority and re-
sponsibility. Take any of that au-
thority and that responsibility from
him and vest it in a bureau or a
single official and there is danger of
creating another power that sooner
or later would contest with the
President to determine which should
dominate.
Anyone who has observed the en-
eroachment of one executive depart
ment or bureau upon another, or
attempts at such Entertainments,
knows what the President would
be subjected to if there were any
other governmental agency that had
the merest shadow of a right in law
to edge in on his prerogatives.
IL TIE new dlu 10 the GIHSlQ6nL
were a bureau its tendency would
be to reach out, octopus-like, for
more and more power to the ulti-
mate end hat the President would
become a mere figurehead.
If 1t were an individual official,
personal rivalries, jealousies, bick-
erings and clashes of ambition would
be inevitable. Give such an official
an inch and he would take an ell,
or break a leg trying!
On the other hand, if the proposed
new agency were made wholly sub
ordinate to the President-its de-
c~isions and acts subject TO his ap-
lproval or disapproval-then the
President would not be appreciably
relieved of any part OF the burden
that now rests upon him, for his
would be he final responsibility to
the Nation and he could not permit
anything important to be doRe with
out giving the matter his personal
attention and consideration.
The President has an abundance
of that kind of assistance now and
where he has full confidence in his
subordinates he is relieved of look
ling after details that otherwise would
lsimply swamp him. Indeed, most
Of the routine business OF the White