Evening star., 1926-11-15
BUTLER EXPLAINS
HIS RECENT DEFEAT
Senator Understood to Have
Detailed Reasons Today In
! Talk With President.
BY j. RUSSELL YOUNG.

Since the counting of the ballots ir
the recent eiections, President Cool
idge has received all sorts of explana
tionS and excuses, as well as alibis
concerning the defeat of his close
friend and political field marshal
Senator William NJ. Butler of Massa
chusetts, but it was not until today
that he received the latter's own yer
sion.
The Massachusetts Senator is a
guest at the White House, where he
arrived from Boston this morning In
time to enjoy a hot-cake and sausage
breakfast for which the Coolidge ad
ministration is becoming SO famous
Col. George Harvey. former Ambas'
sador to Great Britain, and James r
Sheffield, Ambassador to Mexico, also
were members Of the little company
at this breakfast, and it was not until
this enjoyable meal and social hour
had been disposed of that the Presi
dent and Senator Butler went to the
library on the second floor of the
White House and had a heart-to'
heart, uninterrupted talk for nearly
an hour.
President Cuts COnfab.
This interesting confab may have
continued much longer but the Presi-
SO that he could present himself at
his office in time to keep an early
engagement with Senator Curtis Of
Kansas, majority leader of the Sen
ate. Senator Butler then went to his
desk at the Republican National Com
mittee headquarters where he was
kept busily engaged during the re-
mainder Of the morning. There was
TO intimation forthcoming from the
White House of the purpose Of SEN
ator Buffers visit or of the nature
Of his talk with the President.
It is natural to assume, however,
that the Massachusetts Senator gave
to the President his own views as to
the real cause of his defeat and Of the
reaction in that State following the
Presidents personal appeal to the
electorate Of that State to elect Mr..
Butler and to re-elect Gov. Fuller. One
of the Presidents intimates suggested
that the President very probably
wanted to learn from Senator Butler
his plans for the future-more espe-
cfally whether or not he proposed to
remain as the chairman Of the Repub
lican National Committee.
Butler to Remain Chairman.
The assumption here, particularly
among friends of the President and
Senator Butler is that the latter will
continue as the national committee
head.
1t is understood also that the Pres
ident discussed with the Senator sew
eral matters of legislation that are
likely to come to the front during the
coming session of Congress and at
the same time sought his opinion of
the plan to turn back to the taxpayers
the $25O,00O,000 surplus in the Treas
ury. 1t is represented also that the
President asked the Massachusetts,
Senator if he had any ideas to incor-
porate in the annual message to Con-
Sress, the preparation of which the
President has just started.
Col. Harvey, Ambassador Sheffield
nnd Frank w. Stearns of Boston, with
John Wilder of Plymouth Notch, the
PRESIDENT uncle, who, with a COM
Dany of natives of Plymouth appeared
at one of the local theaters last eveek,
made up the Presidents company at
breakfast at the White House yester.
day morning
Uncle" John did not bring his fiddle
with him, but he interested the Presi-
dent and the others about the table
with his quaint narration of his ex-
periences since trouping about the
country.
Diplomatic Problems Up.
Ambassador Sheffield, who has been
at the White House for several days,
during which time he conferred at
length with the President concerning
the problems Of the Government with
Mexico, and is expected to leave
Washington today. 1t is not known
lust how long Col. Harvey will re-
main at the White House.
Senator Jones and Representative