Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-12-04
HARMONY MOVE: IS
SEEN ~ C0(lI II)GE:'S
BREAKF Asst PARTIES
by DAVID LAWRENCE


(Snccial Leased Wire to The Journal-Copy-
right, 1921
WASHINGTON, Dec. Break
fast at s at the White House" may
some day make the reporters wake
up early with a suspicion that such
unaccustOmed beginnings OF a con-
gressionaI day are really significant
OF something impending, but thus
far the only meaning the conferences
between President Coolidge and the
Republican members of the United
States senate is social get-together,
personal, and a gesture of the anX-
iety of the executive to get on terms
OF fellowship with his party col
leagues.
Mr.. Coolidge sat for nearly three
years on the rOstrum Of the senate
and gazed silently into the faces o.
the senators but said nothing him
self. Beyond the natural comments
that go with a social visit, the White
House breakfasts have developed no
talkativeness on legislative matters.
by the president In other days, not
SO long ago, a Roosevelt might have
punctuated the conversation with
staccato comments about current
events in the land of the unofficial
world. Wilson would have disclosed
in dignified phrases a serious atti-
tUde toward party leadership or in
itiative. A Harding would have told
the latest story he had heard or
enjoyed the telling of the new ones
| by his visitors.
Breakfast Hour Convenient
But Mr.. Coolidge is different. First
| Of all he has his conferences al
! breakfast at the ncompdehensible
hour of 8. But if the truth were
| known it s the most convenient hour
| o. the whole day for members OF
! congress and for the president. Nine
/ ty per cent Of the members of con
! gress eat breakfast btWeen 1880 anG
! s o'clock If the president were &c
| invite them to lunch it would con
| fIict with the meeting hour of con
! gress which is noon and the two
| hours thereafter are usually the
most important in the congressional
day. If the invitation were to be for
| dinner, the president would find
himself embarrassed by the number
Of destinations on the plea of other
| engag ements. Senators and mem
bers of the house either have speak
ing dates or dinner enga gements
made ahead Of time. Mr.. Coolidge
likes to get up these breakfasts on
short notice and he can be sure OF
100 per cent attendance if he Sc.
lects the early morning hour.
Then, too, time is saved. Whole
evenings would be spent after din.
ner in futfle debate on public ques-
tons. Mr.. Coolidge is not trying to
tell congress his views except in
official messages. There may come
a time when he will need to follow
UP his recommendation for legisla.
ton with personal persuasion but
that is best accomplished as a rule
by meeting members of congress in.
diVIdualIy or in groups of two or
! three.
What Mr.. Coolidge is really try
ing to do is to erase the impression
that because he is not a taIkative
individual he is aloof and cold. He
wants congress to Lelieve he is en-
doWed with a spirit of fellowship
and good will toward them so that
| If he essays leadership on major
questions he shall not be accused Of
coercion and bossism.
! Precedents Pointed
| Mr.. Wilson rarely used mea
hours for conferences with anyone
on official business, and almost
! never invited members of congress
! to eat with him at the White House
He was criticized for it, though his
| plea was that it was the only time
h efound to give to the members Of
Lic family o,1 +Io+ II boIyNo1 J, ir,1