The producers news., 1927-03-04
WASHINGTON GOSSIP
By LAURENCE TODD. FederatedPress.

Washington = (FP) - Pres. Cool
idge, after talking over with Pres.
Green and Secy. Morrison of the Am
erican Federation of Labor the ques-
tlon of the 5-day week in industry,
has decided to evade any statement
on that subject.
That is why his mythical spokes-
man, when asked where he stands, re-
piled that Coolidge has not studied it
enough to give a worthwhile opinion
of its effect on the welfare of work
ing people.
In short, Coolidge will not commit
himself, in a time of industrial calm,
to a proposal that may become the
cruX Of a strike 6 months or a year
| hence.
Disappointed and annoyed by the
failure OF all parties to the Chinese
civil war to reply to his proposal to
exclude them from military occupa-
ton of the international settlement
in Shanghai, and rejected as saviour
of Nicaragua, Coolidge has met &
third and crushing rebuff from
France.
Prestige of his state department is
at the lowest ebb in its history. The
administration gives signs that i
may try to save its face by seizins
the whole OF Nicaragua.
This is the situation, disquieting Il
advocates of conciliation in Latin
America, as the Coolidge proposal
for a naval limitation conference il
Geneva are blown up by France, an,
as the Nationalist forces in Chin;
again threaten Shanghai. The onl
direction in which Coolidge diploma
, cy can pretend to make progress
In Nicaragua, under the muzzles o
American guns.
That Coolidge was shocked by tn
French refusal to attend a 5-powe
parley on limitation of light cruiser
and submarines, which would hav
been to the advantage Of the Anglo
Fascist combination in the Meditel
ranean, is not disguised at the whit
house. The French cody told Wash
ington that they stand for the discus
sion of all world problems throug
the league of nations. While FIRE
f speech in the league is farce, it ha
{ a strong appeal to small nations.
Coolidge realizes that Paris ha
taken away from America the WooC
row Wilson phrases, and has pl
, Washington in the role of big polit
cal bully as well as that of intern;
tional Shylock.
Secy. Kellogg has sent to the SCI
ate a list Of the American oil ope
ators in Mexico, demanded in
r Norris resolution adopted some weel
ago. The progressives hope to u.
this list to show that a handful
lawless interests in this country ha,
] been the petted favorites of Amer
can foreign policy in this hemispher
i They fear, however, that when CO
gress adjOurns March the Coolidg
MellonKellogg anger Of today "
. turn into ugly attacks on Mexico al
it Central America
4
IS When the navy department a
= ncunced Feb. II that it was sendil
! 1900 additional marines, as well as
u more airplanes, to reinforce admir-
IS Latimer in Nicaragua, the omino
4. meaning of the move was clear. Me
II leo was to be reminded of the ca
= with which any administration
q Washington could make undeclar
II war on a Latin America republic, !
g gardless Of the wishes of congre
,e or the tendency of public opinion.
~ though to make the power of the q
: ministratiOn more evident, it was
y ficially stated that Latimer had
g, ported he did not need these force
st IF he does not want them," sa
20 secretary of the navy Wilbur, q
will send them back"
D.