Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-04-03
WITH CONGRESS OUT
Of WAY, PRESIDENT
To TAKE SPOTLIGHT
Refreshed After Florida
Cruise Mr.. Harding Pre-
pareS Vigorous Defense of
His Policies on His Return
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
(Leased Wire Service to The Journal.)
Copyright, 1921

NIC1Sed W Ire service u Inc Jpuihd'''
Copyright, 1921
ST. AUGUSTINE. Fla, April l.
President Harding's vacation has
been a distinct success. Few bust
ness men could say as much be-
cause the president has amazed his
intimate friends by his faculty of
obtaining complete detachment. Sell
dom is a chief executive able to get
similar rest in the White House, not
withstanding the isolation that is
possible there with a corps of secre-
taries and ushers. The very atmos-
phere reeEs with responsibilities.
When Mr. Harding left Washing
ton he didn't even take a personal
stenographer to handle code mes
sages or to take dictation. He was
determined that he would transact
only the most important business
and he didn't expect to set aside any
hour OF the day even for routine
Not until this week did the presi-
dents program change. He now Is
working part of the day, and will
continue to do the same at Augusta.
It is almost a new Mr.. Harding who
is tackling the tasks of the presi-
dency now as compared with the
faded being who YEARLY babe good
by TO the national capital month
ago.
Will Be in Spotlight
Refreshed by absolute rest. the
president goes back to his job the
end of the coming week prepared for
the hardest kind of a siege. With
congress away, the nations eXecu-
tive will occupy the center of the
stage by himself for the first time
in many years. No longer. will the
news of congress, the speeches and
controversies compete for attention
on the first pages. Mr.. Harding will
have a better opportunity for de-
tailed consideration by the press of
his executive acts. 1t means great
deal to the president, for upon the
impression that he makes in the
next few months will depend to a
great extent whether any substan-
tial opposition to his candidacy for
renominati ton will be developed not
withstanding the fact that at the
moment his friends are serenely con-
fident of the outcome.
Mr.. Harding can make or break
his political future in the next few
months and nobody knows that bet
ter than he does himself. With the
eyes not only of the politicians IN
his own party, but those of the other
party, focused on the president, ne
can become the center of attack as
we'll as aggressive offense. His in
stinct is to tread cautiously ami
play safe" avoiding fight and con-
troyersy. This has been possible III
the first two years of his Admins
tration but the political bombard-
ment from the opposite camp al
ready has begun and Mr.. Harding
is being urged to answer attacks
end keep his own viewpoint con-
stantly before the public.
Sugar an Example
The presidents instructions to the
tariff commission to broaden Its IN
curry on the prices of sugar as they
NAV relate to the tariff is a reco4-
milton of the necessity OF TINS Klnd
OF warfare in politics. There PROB
ably will be more of it when the
president gets back to his desk In
.hsN White House. The trip across
the country to be begun in June, OF
course, will afford the best method
of dealing with attacks against ms
administration, but the safest pol'tl-
cal advice usually offered is to do
things first and talk about them
afterWard.
Before going out to the country,
the president has the opportunity
TO do several things without the
aid Of congress, for in him is vest
d1 wide discretionary powers. ON
many public questions congress,
since 1920, has not stripped the
executive of so much power as
might be imagined and the admin
jstration is still in a large sense a
one-man government. The cabinet
secretaries have been given much
latitude by Mr., Harding but he is,
after all, responsible for practically
all of their acts and rarely is an
important policy put into effect
without his decision.
The European situation, to be
sure, affords Mr.. Harding all the
time a chance to recover lost
ground with that large group in his
own party which believes farm
prices will be improved and the
general prosperity of this country
insured by economic and non-polit-
icaI cooperation with Europe, Sec
rotary Hughes has confined himself
to the lines of policy laid down by
Mr.. Harding and with due recognl-
ton Of the factional feeling inside
the Republican party which the
League Of Nations issue aroused.