The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-04-26
WATSON HITS
AT MELLON BY
TAXBILL Vote
ReverSeS 4-Year Position
on Auto Levy, Sides
With Democrats.
MOVE OF RETALIATION
Works for Defeat Because
of Mills Plan to Speak
for Hoover Here.
BY RAY TUCKER

WASHINGTON, April 26.-Sen-
ator Watson of Indiana has seized
upon such an important administra-
ton measure as the tax reduction
bill TO retaliate against Secretary
Mellon for the latters refusal to
prevent Under Secretary Ogden l..
Mills from speaking for Herbert
Hoover in the Senator's State.
Within a few hours after he had
warned Mellon that he could carry
the fight to the Treasury head I'M
less Mills was kept out of Indiana,
Watson reversed his four-year posi-
ton on the automobile levy and
sided with the committee Demo-
Gratis in voting for its repeal.
AS a result, the Coolidge Mellon
demand that this tax be retained
may be defeated by close vote in
the Senate.
For four years Watson has helped
to block every effort to eliminate
this tax, but last Thursday he sur
prised his colleagues by publicly an
nouncing change of heart.
Gives No Explanation
He gave no explanation that
satisfied Administration spokesman,
and his course myStified Democrats
and Republicans alike until they
heard of his heated interview with
the Secretary of the Treasury.
Though Watson is said to have
told friends Mellon had agreed to
ask Mills to keep out of the Indi-
ana primary, the Senator's action
on the tax bill is taken to indicate
he did not get much satisfaction
at the Treasury.
Washington does not expect Mel
lon or Coolidge to take any public
notice of the Watson switch, but it
is pointed out that he can hardly
run as a Standby the President
candidate in the Hoosier contest.
Thus the impression may get
abroad that a vote for Watson is
a vote to repudiate Coolidge, and
the kind of fight Watson hoped to
staye off by pleading with Mellon
to keep Mills out may be the result.
The committee would not have
reported in favor of repeal but for
Watson's vote.
Threat to Mellon
It Is understood that Senator
King, Democrat, voted with the Re
publicans, Watson and Couzens with
the Democrats. This made the
count II to 10. The committee con-
sists of IL Republicans and 9 Demo-
Gratis. Had Watson not Topped,
the result would have been tie.
Thus the doosier statesman car
ried out his threat to Mellon, which
was 81 want to warn you that if
you're going to fight it out along
this line, I'll fight it out on this ba-
sis from now until convention time"
This is Watson's second deser-
ton of the Administration on a
major measure. He made the
opening speech on behalf of the
McNary- Haugen bill, even taking
precedence over Senator McNary,
and with Vice President Dawes.
He was one of the few who en-
gineered it through to passage
and possibly a hoped-for veto by
Coolidge.
Similar Tactics Before
IN 1924, Watson pursued similar
tactics against Mellon for the
latter's refusal to appoint Bert
Thurman, now his campaign man
ager, as Indiana's prohibition COM
missioner.
AS chairman of the special Senate
committee appointed to investigate
the Internal Revenue Department,
Watson let the inquiry lapse while
negotiations for Thurman's appoint
ment were on.
When this failed, he secretly
sponsored Couzens'S renewed de-
mand for the investigation, but
resigned with public avowal of his
administration sympathy.
His maneuverings were understood
clearly at the Treasury and White
House, however, and it is said that
Mellon, unlike Watson'S Senate
colleagues was not surprised at Wat
sons original announcement On the
auto levy or his committee vote.