Talks With the Folks

As a rule President Harding does not set fashions. As a rule Senator La Follette does not follow a fashion which anyone else has set. It apppears that the President has set a fashion, perhaps unknowingly, and that the Senator will follow it, perhaps unwillingly. Towards the middle of June Mr. Harding will start on a speaking tour of the country, and about the same time, according to his present plans, Senator La Follette will make a similar trip. Mr. La Follette, however, will exercise his inalienable right to individuality by making a "swing around the circle" in the reverse direction to that followed by the President.

The President's trip was unofficially announced some time ago. Now it is understood that he will start about June 15 and that the major stops on his journey will be St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle (here an interval for a side trip to Alaska), Portland, Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit.

Senator La Follette just announced his projected tour: " I have received so many invitations to speak from people in all parts of the country that I decided to accept some of these invitations. I hope very shortly to clean up my business here in Washington and go away for a little recreation to fortify myself physically, after which I will talk to the folks."

His itinerary is not definitely settled, but is said to begin in Minnesota and continue through the Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana, Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. The subjects of the Senator's speeches will include the railroads, taxation, tariff and most of the topics in which the " progressives'' are interested. It is likely, too, that Mr. Harding will touch on most of these questions, but with decidedly different recommendations.

The Senator will doubtless declare for repeal of the Esch-Cummins Act, whereas President Harding will probably advocate consolidation of the railroads under the act.