Blinking

Not since Congress closed in the early part of July had President Coolidge been quoted directly on any controversial political question. He had used his Official Spokesman whenever a situation demanded it; he had assiduously avoided entering into the Senatorial campaigns;* in particular he had steered clear of the slush-tainted Republican candidates in Pennsylvania and Illinois. Suddenly last week

Arthur Sears Henning, Washington correspondent for the Chicago Tribune, whose despatches are often more fantastic than factual, made the following report: "When an Illinois man discussing the matter [Senatorial candidacy of slush-tainted Frank L. Smith, Rep.] with the President remarked that 'Brennan is tarred with the same stick,' referring to the fact that the Democratic candidate for Senator accepted $15,000 from Insull, Mr. Coolidge turned upon him with that cold blue eye of his and snapped: 'But Brennan wasn't regulating Insull's properties, was he?'"

Next day other newspaper correspondents read Mr. Henning's story; wondered whether it was a scoop, a violation of confidence or a mere hoax. They asked the President about it. His reply was cautiously emphatic: "For obvious reasons it has to be the policy of President Coolidge to assume no responsibility for press reports as to his position on public questions, made without official sanction. He has given no interview, made no statement, taken no position and expressed no attitude, for the purpose of influencing the choice of United States Senator in Illinois."

It was then supposed that Correspondent Hennings had got his story from that "Illinois man" who had been taken into the President's confidence. But the leak had done its work, had revealed that President Coolidge was not delighted with the candidacy of Frank L. Smith but that he did not wish to advertise his opinion.

Meanwhile, in St. Louis, Senator James A. Reed smashed into the Administration as vehemently as if he were running for President against a Coolidge-Mellon ticket. Said he with a snarl on his lips that Voltaire would have envied: "The red line of the circumference of the circle of corruption runs across the White House grounds and passes through the heart of the Coolidge Administration. . .

"And Coolidge sits in the White House blinking his dull eyes, with Mellon at his right hand, while the ravishment of decency and the assault upon the ballot is being perpetrated."

*It is true that President Coolidge made public a letter vigorously indorsing Senator William M. Butler of Massachusetts a fortnight ago (TIME, Nov. 1), but every one knew already that the two were old friends.