National Affairs: Mr. Watson's Week

• Share

Three months ago, when James Eli Watson of Indiana was chosen by his Republican colleagues to lead them in the Senate, many were the predictions of trouble ahead for the north wing of the Capitol. Last week that trouble came, brimming up in the Senate to give Leader Watson a bad time.

Large of pate and paunch, small of eye and aim, Leader Watson perfectly typifies the old-style politician with whom the Hoover Administration is supposed to have little in common. But for that circumstance, Leader Watson could scarcely have asked for more favorable auspices when he set out in March to lead his party in the Senate: a successful election; a majority (on paper) of 16 Republican votes in the Senate; a Democratic opposition lacking a definite program; a new President, potent with the prestige of undistributed patronage. But even with these advantages Leader Watson, thought many of his fellow Republicans last week, made a poor fist of steering the Senate. Perhaps Leader Watson's troublesome week was partly due to the heat. In the Senate the temperature rose close to 100° F. In the House it was a comfortable 70° F. The House has a modern cooling system, the Senate's is not yet installed. With electric fans out of commission. Senators puffed, perspired, languished in linens. Leader Watson, clad in a light grey suit, wearing white silk socks and blancoed shoes, mopped his head with a handkerchief and wearily remarked: "I always try to be good natured." The Senate's behavior on Farm Relief (see p. 13) reflected small, if any, credit upon the Watson leadership. Twice had he failed to stem the Debenture Plan tide in the Senate, finally leaving it to President Hoover to interpose his own political authority to straighten out the legislative mess. President Hoover had wanted a suspension of National Origins. Leader Watson last week was unable to muster enough party votes to consummate that Hoover wish, was even absent himself on the roll call.

With the Tariff rolling along toward the Senate, the Watson leadership collapsed utterly. Where the President had declared for a "limited" tariff revision, Leader Watson declared for a "general" tariff revision and then, amid heckling, attempted to draw a fine distinction between "general"' revision and "unlimited revision" which he technically opposed. His argument: there would be 4,400 items in an "unlimited" tariff bill; the pending tariff bill contains only 3,000 items; ergo, it is a "general" bill.

When Idaho's Senator Borah attempted to instruct the Finance Committee to limit tariff revision to the agricultural schedules, Leader Watson interposed "violent" objections.

The manner in which Leader Watson led the Senate brought down upon that body a volley of editorial abuse. It was accused of perversity and pique. The Press harped upon uncomplimentary comparisons: the late great Henry Cabot Lodge would never have permitted such legislative chaos; Charles Curtis had steered a far straighter course.

Leader Watson's troubles were not confined to the Senate, where only a minority seemed willing to follow him. In Indianapolis last week he was made a defendant in a $50,000 damage suit growing out of his alleged membership in the Ku Klux Klan.