Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-03-25
Teapot Dome, Muscle Shoals,
Foreign Loans and Hondu-
ran Policy All Targets in
Verbal Free-for-AiI

WASHINGTON, March pa
drumfire of oratory shook the SEN
ate slylights today.
| The bombardment started over re-
newed charges by Senator Borah, Re-
publican, Idaho, of delayed legisla-
ton to permit grand jury" proceed
! ings. Before the smoke of battle
cleared away, however, the senate
had been extensively informed Upon
subjects ranging from Teapot Dome
to Muscle Shoals.
From the Republican trenches,
Senator WadsWorth, of New York,
was moved early in the engagement
TO predict that the senate would do
nothing during the day but talk. "
He was wrong, however, The record
shows that, in its five-hour session,
it did vote an amendment into the
first deficiency bill providing for per-
manent white crosses over the graves
of American soldiers in France.
1t took no other legislative action
whatever, except to confirm some
minor nominations.
The senate day started innocently
enough.
Senator Curtis, of Kansas, the Re
publican whip, was alone on the
floor when the gavel fell but, within
fifteen minutes, after a quorum had
been mustered, Senator Shipstead,
farmer-labor, Minnesota, Embossed his
verbal batteries in a prepared ad-
dress criticising generally foreign
loans by American bankers and spe-
officially the 500, 900 900 loan by the
Morgan bank to France.
Entanglements F'Oreseen
The senator foresaw possibilities of
grave ENHANCEMENT from. such trans
actions, and charged that a previous
loan by the same firm to France had
Immediately preceded the entrance of
the United States into the World war.
Senator Shipstead then criticised
the administration policy in Cen
trail America. and in this was echoed
by Senator Borah. while Senator
Lodge, Republican, Massachusetts,
chairman of the foreign relations
committee, in reply, declared recent
action in Honduras was necessary to
protect lives of American citizens.
At this point Senator Caraway,
Democrat, Arkansas, unmasked his
suns and trained thkm upon Speaker
Gillett, particularly for the latter's
recent criticism in a Boston speech
of the senate's record.
The Arkansas senator denied that
the legislative program had been de-
layed by senate Investigations, and
countered, with the assertion that
the house had Sunk to the lowest
point in it's history as q legislative
| body"
A reference to the recent lecture
by Senator Borah to his Republican
colleagues on the matter of delays
! in legislative business brought that
senator to the defense of his sector.
Applying his criticism, Senator
lBorah said every senator was pledged
to tax reduction, but 1t was improb-
able any measure could be passed
under the present conditions. He
| proposed that senate Investigations
| be left to senate committees until
concluded and debate on the floor
revolved around the legislative pro
sram.
Lack of Program Charged
! This flank attack FOUND the Dem
ocratic leader, Senator Robinson. Of
/ Arkansas, holding the line with a
challenge that the majority was
without program lie quoted a news.
paper report of n White House con-
/ ference at which Senator Smoot, of
! Utah. chairman of the finance com.
mttee, was said to have informed
! President Coolidge the revenue bill
/ could not pass before June 10, when
| the Republican convention is to
meet.
Senator Curtis brought up party
reserves by denying that any such
statements had been made at the
conference in which he participated
A report was made on progress. he
said, and the president urged that
every step possible be taken to ex
pedite tax reduction 'in order that
the people might know where they
stood
BY this time the verbal warfare
was frankly a partisan exchange