The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-05-23
KEEPING UP
With
THE NE WIS
BY LUDWELL DENNY

- ing the decision which will fix
the issue of the Kansas City con-
vention and which may determine
the candidate and fate of the Re
publican party for the next four
years.
He is expected to veto the Nc
Nary Haugen farm relief bill. This
threatens to split the Republican
convention as liquor and religion
disrupted the Democratic forces
four years ago, though the result
may be less costly.
Ex-Governor Lowden, leading
administration candidate, and
his friend, Vice President Dawes,
leading dark horse candidate, have
defeated the President in Congress
by putting through the McNary-
Haugen bill, and now stake their
success at Kansas City on this issue.
The President has a choice of
signing the bill, thereby preserving
party unity. robbing his opponents
OF an issue, and assuring Republican
victory at the polls in the Middle
West next November
Or he can repeat his veto of last
year, and, together with the Admin
istration candidate, Herbert Hoover,
fight it out with his own party at
Kansas City and with the Demo-
Gratis in November.
1t is assumed that Coolidge in
tends to send a veto message to
Congress within a day or so. =.
The Lowden-Dawes- Watson Curtis
coalitions expect this veto, and is
making its convention plans ac-
cordingly. The leaders mean to
play politics with the issue.
T OWDEN announces he does not
~ want the nomination, which
would mean defeat in the election,
unless the party declares for farm
relief.
But when it comes to playing
politics as a game, it is hardly a
secret that Coolidge is no novice
Perhaps no political campaign was
ever conducted with greater skill
than the Coolidge campaign of four
years ago.
Then his problem was to disarm
the Democrats, who we're trying to
use the issue of alleged political
corruption. He succeeded.
His friends now expect the
President to outmaneuver the
Lowden-Dawes alliance, which is
trying to use McNaryism as a club
to control the convention and grab
the nomination from Hoover.
Again he has a choice of tactics
He can pursue his past tactics OF
ignoring the issue which the oppo-
sition chooses, and of drawing the
attention of the convention and the
electorate to other issues, such as
Coolidge prosperity"
Or he may surprise everyone by
reversing mis- tactics, accepting the
opponents issue. and boldly pro-
claiming himself and Hoover bet
ter and sounder friends Of the
| farmer than Lowden and Dawes.
The President and Hoover's man
ayers apparently are considering
seriously the wisdom of this latter
course.
TINE President may 60 beyond
n the mere negative act of We
toing the McNary- Haugen bill. and
take the positive step of demanding
that Congress come to the relief Of
the farmer by passing the present
bill without the unconstitutional
eualization fee provision.
BY such action. he would try to
put the responsibility on the oppo-
sition for any failure of farm relief
legislation. Then when Congress
refused-as it doubtless would re-
fuse, because of time limitation. if
no other-to enact the Coolidge
form of the bill, the President and
Hoover would be in a position at
the convention and in the campaign
to bid for the farm vote with the
following argument:
I'VE are committed to any sound
system of farm relief We tried to
enact a law creating a Federal farm
board and a $500, 100000 revolving
fund for use of cooperative organi-
cations in the marketing of surplus
agricultural products.
This was blocked by the Lowdcn-
Dawes faction, who deliberately left
the farmer without relief. to make
political football of an "unconsti-
tutional" equalization fee which
they knew the President could not
accept and which was passed for
the purpose of Veto
NTHILE the cables on the
w German national election
stress the victory of the Moderate
Socialists, who polled 100000 of
the 100000 ballots, and with an
increase of twenty-four, raised
their total of parliamentary seats
to 152, Communists believe their
gains were more significant.
Communists won fifty-four seats.
an increase of 20 per cent, the larg-
est gain of any party
This Communist success robbed
the Socialists and the so-called
Weimar coalition of the six parlia-
mentary votes necessary for a ma
jority AS a result, the Communists
hold the balance of power, and the
only way the Socialist and Liberal
parties can form and maintain a
Government is to make an alliance
with the middle-of -the-road Peo-
pies party of Foreign Minister
StreSemann.
Though Socialist will be
Premier. Stresemann is expected to
| continue at the fnreirrn nfHnn and