Evening star., 1924-01-23
Politics at Large
BY N. O. MESSENGER

oCdHudi. w nal VIII Dc IhC CthNSs'
. if any, upon the party in power. In
! view of the expected efforts of the
democratic managers in and out OF
Congress to make 1t a political ques-
tion rejecting upon the last admin
, stration Is asked?
Fair minded politicians do not think
that any headway can be made in
bringing blame to attach to President
Coolidge. The leasing of Teapot
Dome occurred before he took office.
Neither do they hold that, should
further developments prove that
guilt lies at some ones door, criticism
would fall upon President Hardins's
memory, for he would be held to have
been betrayed by friends.
How often is heard the expression
TThis would have been the death of
President Harding from grief had he
lived
But to return t6 the query What
is going to be the effect upon the
republican party at larger" Some
politicians say that the answer may
! largely depend upon what steps the
administration takes In promptly re-
pudiating the lease and ordering an
investigation of the circumstances,
with the intention of taking such
action as the facts brought out may
warrant.
Some OF the Presidents friends hold
that he would do well to direct the
Department of Justice to investigate,
declaring his intention to see the
affair probed TO the bottom.
X X II X
The democrats believe that it is in
evitable that they should derive poll
tical capital out OF the case as it
stands. whatever future developments
may be. They have been working
for months getting ready for this
story TO break" as is shown by the
publication, just about the time Sena-
tor Caraway made his drive In the
Senate, OF Il forty-fve page printed
pamphlet devoted to conservation and
. the Teapot Dome case. II took time
! TO compile and print the book which
was issued this week by the demo-
/ cratic national committee. There
was some good political teamwork
there.
The democrats say that If the
administration should hand the case
over to the Department of Justice that
! office Will have to come through"
! with genuine investigation. The
democrats would at the outset be on
guard.
Favorable comment is heard upon
the course pursued by Archie Roose-
Welt in resigning from the Sinclair
| firm and voluntarily appearing be-
fore the Senate investigating COM
mittee to tell all he knew. OF course
II is recognized that he had no possi-
BILE connection with the lease, but he
distrusted the look of things he could
not help but see around the Office
and promptly washed his hands of
the affair.
That's what IT. r. himself would
have had him do was one comment
! heard.
The democratic national committee,
in its pamphlet on the oil lease, ali
of which, however. is not devoted to
that subject alone, has built up a
carefully studied attack on the lease,
much resembling a lawyers brief or
district attorneys Indictment 1t
is also an ex parte political brief,
apparently framed by hands accus-
toned to playing the political
game But II is bound TO be read by
the country If the democratic ma
tional committee can get the cir
! cuIation 1t hopes for the document.
): x x X
One thing the committee adroitly
stresses throughout is the assertion
that the leasing of the oil fields was
betrayal of the Navy and the mill
! tary preparedness of the country by
dissipating the Navy's reserve stock
! of oil fuel. This is considered by the
democratic national committee as
/ calculated to bring down the patriotic
wrath of the nation on all who may
be held responsible for the deal.
: Reading through the lines of the
national committees brief and indict-
ment, it would appear that leasing
| OF the Oil lands is to be one of the
major democratic issues in the presi-
/ Dental campaign. 1t is yet ten
months to election. TO be sure, and
! the American people are busy and
forS etful. but the democratic leaders
I say they will see to il that the dis
cussion and the subject will not be
allowed to languish any hour of the
meantime.
! David Ladd Rockwell, chairman OF
the McAdoo- for President committee,
has issued a hfteen-page pamphlet.
! setting forth the achievements of Mr..
/ McAdoo while he was Secretary of
/ the Treasury and director general of
railways and his political policies.
| His record is his platform" says
! Chairman Rockwell. His policies he
describes as follows: Restoration OF
prosperity to the farmers and live
stock growers by having the United
States assist European nations to
compose their differences, establish
peace through friendly councils of
all the nations of the earth, disarm,
| become productive to the limit of
! their capacities, thus opening mar
| kets for American products.
I He would have tariff law con-
structed by q non.partisan commits
sion. reduce taxes with a more equit-
able distribution of burdens, let
Henry Ford develop Muscle Shoals,
give a bonus, enforce the prohibition
/ law, prohibit further issuance of tax
exempt securities. have a constitu-
I tional amendment prohibiting child
labor, authorize the President to veto
individual items in an appropria tfon
bill.
1t Is noted that the platform does
not include direct and specific in
! dorsement Of the league of nations,
which was the keystone of the demo-
cratic national platform four years
| ago.
[ The nearest approach to it is the
! general reference to the establish
| ment of peace through friendly
| councils"
x * X 4
| Likewise. it is observed that the
platform does not advocate prohibit
tion outright What it says on that
subject is enforcement of the laws
against the manufacture, importation
| and sale of intoxicating liquors And
that's all-there isn't any more.
X X X
William ]. Bryan promulgated a
pJatform Monday night, reiteratjng