LATEST CABLE NEWS U.S.A. SENATE

Hokitika Guardian, 12 March 1925, Page 2

LATEST CABLE NEWS U.S.A. SENATE

SETBACK TO PRESIDENT. AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION WASHINGTON, Alarch 11. Politically, and from the point of view of leadership. President Coolidgc has just suffered his first setback, .since assuming the Presidency, and which is one of the most serious rebuffs ever received l>y a President of the L nited States from Congress. The Senate to-day failed to confirm lii.s Cabinet appointment, namely, that of Mr Charles Bclirer Warren for the Attorney Generalship. The vote was forty against 50.

Vice-President Dawes, who as President of the Senate could have broken the oj position and secured Warren’s confirmation, was absent. He rushed to the Senate Chamber in a taxi, hut lie arrived too late.

Re-consideration of the position was further made impossible through a technicality. The vote on the appointment came suddenly, after <v day ol debate on Warren’s availability, the hitter being bitterly opposed for various reasons, the chief being his legal connections, with the large sugar beet companies, and the fact that President Coolidgc failed to consult the Senatorial delegation from Michigan, of which Mr Warren is a resident, this being considered an affront to the Senatorial dignity. The Senate’s action is one of the most, striking facts in recent Am erican political history, ranking in importance with 'President Wilson’s work in Europe so far us domestic affairs are concerned. The Republican leaders had expected President Coolidge’s dominance during his term ol office, due to the preponderating Republican majorities in Congress as result of last election. Every conceivabe effort was Ivoing made to assure Air Coolidge’s undisputed leadership ol the Republican Party, and the affairs of the country. An important step in this direction was taken when a Re-

publican congressional caucus read out of the Party yesterday such Congressmen and Senators, who, while, pseudo Republicans, had, during the last campaign, affiliated themselves with the Third Party, namely, the La Follette Party. These were Senators L;ulo,

Ferazier. Shipstead, and Broekhurst. This was done over Senator Borah’s bitter protest, and with President Coolidgo’s approval, the President declaring the Party responsibility must he maintained, and that these gentlemen should not hold important Congressional or Senatorial Committee posts. The rebuff is the culmination of All Coolidge's attempt to control legislation. during the old Congress, which lapsed oil Alarch 4. Humlieds of hills and resolutions were not acted upon, the untractable legislators passing only Appropriation Bills, one of which contained a provision to increase their own salaries by 25 per cent, to ten thousand dollars, making the annual cost of Congress to the taxpayers more than ten million dollars. President Coolidgc, in spite of lii.s in-

sistence on economy, signed this mea-

sure. In fear of developing further antagonisms, he disavowed the responsibility of the recommendations, including the World Court, the reduction of taxation, and farm relief through the Government regulation ol co-opera-tive marketing. The new Congress has now demonstrated that it has revived the old Congressional spirit, namely, that no man can count oil being its master.