Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-12
COOLIDGE STARTLES
BY QUICK ACTION
Prompt and Courageous
Statement on DENLY Issue
Wins New Name.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE,

1t is no longer Cautious Calvin"
! 1t is Calvin the Swift The Presi-
dents lightning, dramatic rejoinder
| to the Senate on the DENLY custer
| resolution has taken the politicians
! breath away. 1t came as a stagger-
| ing surprise to some of Mr.. Cool
| idge's closest counselors. Up to
within an hour Of the issuance of
the White House statement. breath
ing defiance to the Senate's ukase.
republican leaders confessed them
selves to be in a state Of uncertainty
how tho President would meet the
dilemma that confronted him. Would
he play politics and sacrifice DENLY
in obedience to the views of men
who saw republican party expediency
in such move? Would he take his
stand on the firm ground of his con-
stitutional prerogatives and hold fast
to DENLY? Would he run true TO his
| form of an uncompromising believer
in fair play and in the ordered
| processes of the law?
There was nothing of the Cautious
Calvin" in the decision which the
President reached while friend and
foe alike We're wondering how he
would face the sternest test of his
whole presidential career He acted
with a speed that can only be com
pared, politicians say. to Theodore
Roosevelt in his best fighting form.
Washington rings with the convic-
ton that over night "a new Coolidge"
| has emerged. The Presidents near
est friends insist it is only the old
| Coolidge" in action when the erner-
gency calls They declare that no
one truly familiar with his political
character expected anything else.
Hailed As Good Politics.
| In the camp of the Presidents sup
| porters. with few exceptions. enthu-
siasm prevails over his DENLY deci-
sion. Many OF them had hoped that
! before this, DENLY himself would
| cut the Gordian knot and relieve Mr..
| Coolidge Of embarrassment They
! argued that would be the easiest way
| out Of a difficulty that might easily
| spell serious trouble for the 6. o. p.
, in 1924.
They reasoned that dictates of per-
| sonal loyalty TO his cabinet chief and
| TO the official leader of the repub
lican party could have justified DENLY
| in quitting office. even under fire.
| They said such an attitude would not
| jeopardize his standing before the
| public and might even win him SYM
| pathy. 1t is evident that no such
| thoughts either prevailed with Secre-
tary DENLY or that they carried any
| weight with, President Coolidge.
Republicans. therefore, have come
promptly to the conclusion that Cool
idge has not only played lightning
| politics, but played extremely shrewd
| politics. Their expectation is that
| the country will respond instantly to
the fighting spirit that prompted the
| Presidents action and will acclaim it.
| There is loud praise of Coolidge's
/; sagacfty in citing Grover Cleveland
| as one OF his supreme authorities for
reminding the United States Senate
| that matters connected with Exec
utive appointments are strictly the
| Executives business 1t was Senator
| Borah who, in the course of his bril-
! liant constitutional exposition in the
| oil debate last week. outlined the
| Grover Cleveland precedent in detail.
| His hackers point out that demo-
! cratic antagonists will be hard put
| to it, to attack a position that is
based upon action of one of the de-
/ mocracy's great Presidents and pa
I iron saints.
| This writer has reason to state
| that the President was prompted to