Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1924-05-09
A Weekly Panorama of Events in the
National Capital.
(By Peter Keegan)

ming to be fearful that Indiana, long
doubtful state politically, will swing
clear over into the Democratic column
in November as a result of the con-
viction of Governor McCray and his
resignation to serve a long sentence
in federal prison. The primaries
gave some indication Of this trend,
and in some quarters it is being sug-
gested that Albert J. Beveridge.
former Senator from Indiana, should
be the Republican Vice-Presidential
candidate in an effort to save Hoos-
ierdom for Coolidge.
President Coolidge selected the
Temporary Chairman for the Repub-
lican National Convention without
even asking the advice of William M.
Butler his chief campaign manager.
he result was that Butler told some
of the newspapermen in the capital
after the announcement was made
that the story of the selection Of
Theodore E. Burton of Ohio was
"just gossip. But when the commit
tee on arrangements met in Cleve-
land, it was Butler that placed Bur-
tons name in nomination. In the
meantime, of course, he had got an
earful from the White House and
had learned that Coolidge intended to
run his own campaign-and to suit
himself.
]. R. McCarl, the Comptroller Gen
moment the storm center of an attack
not only from Congress, but from all
the executive departments of the gov
ernment. Under the Budget law, the
Comptroller General has authority to
take in all the money and pay all the
bills of the United States. Cabinet
members say that he has arrogated
to himself so many duties and so
much added authority that he has be-
come a czar-so much SO that he is
able to tell anyone-even the Presi-
dent-what he can and what he can
not do where the Governments fl
nances are concerned. Legislation to
alleviate the troubles and rows be-
tween McCarl and the Cabinet is be-
ing considered
The Congressional "beer bloc" has
made brave fight, but its efforts to
liberalize the Volstead Act appear to
be futile. A veritable flock of beer
bills have been offered in the present
the House Judiciary Committee has
brought forward a number of persons
who would like to have 2.75 per cent
beer legaliZed, but the passage of any
legislation along this line, or even
anything like wet and dry fight on
the floor of the House, looks doubt
full. Among the interesting side
lights of the liquor agitation is the
charge by Rep. Celler of New York
that at the time of the hearings were
going on certain Congressman who
always votes "dry" was discovered in
a drunken condition at the Capitol.
A personal investigation of charges
that Japan, Great Britain, France
and Italy are violating the spirit, if
not the letter, of the Washington
naval limitation treaty has been
launched by President Coolidge. The
charges have been made repeatedly,
but the President was spurred to ac-
tion by the announcement that the
British Government planned to pro-
test the changing of absolete Ameri-
can battleships from coal to oil burn
ers. The violation of the treaty by
foreign powers is said to consist in
the construction of large numbers Of
auxiliary craft, submarines, ETC.,
which the treaty did not specifically
limit or prohibit.
Al Smiths sudden stepping out as
one of the leading candidates for
the Democratic presidential nomina
tion since the death of Boss Murphy
in New York is one of the political
sensations of the moment. The fact