Evening star., 1923-11-19
White House Flooded With
Expressions Favoring Re-
vision Downward.
ATTITUDE ON BONUS,
HOWEVER, IS In DOUBT
President Believed to Be Against
Payment to Able-Bodied Now.
Will Deal With Bureau.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

The country has rallied behind the
proposal to reduce taxes There is
no longer any doubt about that at the
White House and President Coolidge
is formulating his message to be de-
livered to Congress with the idea
that the American people want their
taxes reduced
BY letters, kilograms. newspaper
editorials, personal calls from mem
bers of Congress, the administration
has learned that the demand for tax
revision is almost unanimous Public
opinion has crystallized rapidly
President Coolidge feels he can go
ahead with recommendations to Con-
gress that will have behind them the
momentum of national opinion at
the outset.
The President is anxious to get the
views of House and Senate leaders
before sending his message to the
printers. But the members are slow
in drifting back TO Washington so
Mr.. Coolidge is unable to get their
reaction to public affairs as quickly
as he would like 10 have 1t. He
would like to know, for instance,
just how he should treat the soldier
bonus proposal
The politicians say he cannot avoid
Offering program for soldier aid be-
cause 1t is inevitable that the demo-
VIII urge it. William Gibbs McAdoo
has been quoted as saying the gov
ernment could revise taxes and pay
a bonus. too. Since Mr. McAdoo was
at one time Secretary Of the Treasury
himself. his observations are taken
seriously, especially by the bonus
men, who say he ought to know.
Sentiment rayors Bonus.
The difficulty about the bonus, how
ever, is not the question OF whether
it ought 10 be paid. Sentiment for
the payment of the bonus, if the gov
ernment could afford it. would be al
most unanimous as there have been
relatively few attacks against the
bonus on principle. The greatest fac
tor is really the uncertainty as to
the amount of annual outlay that
would be needed. The advocates and
opponents of the measure disagree as
to the total cost. IL the face of such
situation it hardly IS likely that the
President would simply come cut in
favor of a bonus without disca.e ring
some way or meeting the payments.
however large they may he
The prospects at tRe moment are
that the President will not recon-
mend a bonus for the able bodied, but
Will deal with the reorganization of
the Veterans Bureau, which Is charp-
ed with the duty of making payments
to the disabled service men. This
would leave it to Cor gress again to
take the initiative. 1t viii be recalled
that Mr.. Harding did not start the
61,f +.
views after Congress had put the
matter UP to him.
President Coolidge feels that he
gave his pledge to the country to fol-
low out the Harding policies. Mr..
Harding vetoed the bonus bill. But
he did suggest that there be a tax
revision before the end of the pres
ent administration. In his annual
message of December 6, 1881, Mr..
Harding said:
1t would suggest insincerity if I
expressed complete accord with every
expression rded in your roll calls,
but we ar" greed about the diff
culties ana inevitable divergence
of opinion IN seeking the reduction,
amelioration and readjustment of the
burdens of taxation. Later on, when
other problems are solved. l shall
make some recommendations about
renewed consideration of our tax
program. . .
Mr. Harding could not have post
poned the execution of that promise
until the presidential campaign or a
second term. Close friends say he
favored making it a part of his pro-
gram this year, though he realized
the political dangers of putting a tax
revision measure into Congress with
the republican party divided by rad
icalism. Mr.. Coolidge hopes. how
ever. that enough republicans will
stand by the tax program, together
with the conservative democrats, SO
that tax reduction can be accom-
plished. The outlook at the moment
for such a coalition is bright.