Evening star., 1924-03-29
PRESIDENT URGED
TO REVEAL VIEWS
May Review Developments
of Past Ninety Days in
Speech Before Editors.
By FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE

PRESIDENT Coolidge is expected to
make his first extensive statement on
current events on April %. On that
Gay he has made a provisional en-
Rasement to speak at the annual
luncheon of the Associated Press in
the Waldorf-Asotoria Hotel at New
York. In case the President carries
out that plan his address will consist
almost exclusively of a review of the
abnormal conditions which have OBJ
"ained at the National Capital for the
past ninety days. Mr.. Coolidge was
reluctant to make a second speech in
New York so close upon the heels of
his Lincoln day appearance there. But
the audience that he would address at
the Associated Press function would
, not be local one. 1t would consist
OF the leading editors and publishers
from the forty eight states of the
Union. The Presidents advisers have
urged him not to forfeit the opportu-
nlty of presenting himself before so
ualqueIy representative a gathering
OF opinion makers
BY the date in question, which is
more than three weeks hence. the
White House will be in possession OF
the country's "reaction'' to the en-
Daugherty. No secret is made in ad-
uihlstratlon quarters of the Presi-
cents anxiety on that score AL
though MIR Daugherty's bitter re-
Jpinuer TO the request for his resig-
nation 1nsinuated that Mr. Coolidge
mas yielded to "cowa rdice," Surrender
. or principles" and party expediency."
the president believes he has acted in
response to definite public demand for
Daugherty's dismissal from the cahi
net, the White House at first was not
so sure that Daughertys disappear
ance would be popular. Even when
TepuDllcans OF the caliber of Lodge
Pepper and Borah asked for il. Cool,
ldge set his face like flint against re-
Spondlng to what then struck him as
Aue ana cry and insensate clamor
Letters Urge Action.
As the Brookhart- Wheeler investi-
cation proceeded a new light began
70 dawn at the executive end OF
PENNSYLVANIA avenue What the
president read from day to day he, as
lawyer. realized was not evidence
IN law But he and his advisers be-
gan to appreciate that ii was most
damning circumstantial proof in the
minds of the public. which cares lit
tie for the niceties of legal procedure
and rules of evidence. The White
House mail bag became fuller and
iulIer OF expressions Of peoples opin-
ions. 1t became a creScendo of belief
THAT while Daugherty was not proved
guilty OF actual wrongdoing, an ac-
Gumulatlon OF strong suspicion was
being steadily built up, which made
II desirable to separate him from the
admin st ration
That is the burden of the song
Whlch the plain citizens of the repub-
l,c nave been dinning into Calvin
Coolldges ears for the past week or
ten days. Then came South Dakota
1t may be a coincidence, but within
twenty-four hours of his loss of that
a FIRF, fnl
johnson, the President executed an
about-face on Daugherty and demand
ed his head Insiders are convinced
that the episode of Daugherty's re-
IuSal to hand over certain files to the
Senate investigators was a polite and
convenient pretext for. but not the
actual cause of, President Coolidges
nnal action. He acted suddenly and
drastically because he had at length
become certain the country would be
satished with nothing else Three
weeks ago this writer announced on
nrst-hand authority the Presidents
Keep his portfolio till he had had "a
fair show" to vindicate himself But
events marched faster than Calvin
Coolidge expected He scented dan
ger IN delay. Then. as is his fashion,
he lost no time in coming TO a de-
cislon to take strong measures
Action Called Timely.
For many days politicians in both
parties will wrangle over the effect
on the Presidents political fortunes
of Daugherty's dismissal The demo-
cratic national committee contends
that Coolidge carried his calm and
caution policy too far. and cannot
repair the damage his "procrastina-
ton" in dealing with Daugherty has
done him. That will be Hiram John
sons line of argument, too. Repub-
1ican leaders, who have been urging
Coolidge for weeks to throw Daugh-
erty overheard, think he has not
moved too late. One important SEN
ator, who was conspicuous in the
G. Q. p. movement to rid foolidge
of the Attorney General, puts the
situation thusly TO the writer:
Ninety per cent of the republican
party was prepared to support Cool
tdge, no matter what he did about
Daugherty. But there was an influ-
ential 10 per cent which saw peril to
the President and to the party IL
Daugherty was retained. No repub
lican candidate for President could
be elected without the support of that
, 10 per cent. Coolidge has acted just
In the nick of time"
i(Nppyripht 1924