PRESIDENT'S ADVISERS SEE WESTERN TRIP AS KEY TO RE-ELECTION IN 1924
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On June 14, 1923, David Lawrence of the Evening Star reports that advisers to Warren G. Harding are looking ahead to the President's Western trip "as an affair of paramount political importance."
Even now, Mr. Harding is working on speeches he will deliver during the trip.
Mr. Lawrence says there is "confidence" among the President's inner circle that he will be renominated and re-elected in 1924. Much of this optimism comes from their belief that Democratic opposition will be largely "ineffective."
They also point to the Republican advantage of having a prosperous economy along with "high rates of wages being paid."
JFK+50 NOTE
The White House Historical Association says that President Harding's trip, dubbed 'The Voyage of Understanding,' was intended to "distance himself from the scandals of Washington" and to "connect with voters across the country." Unfortunately, the grueling journey "took a toll on his health" resulting in the President's death on August 2, 1923.
SOURCES
"Link Western Trip With Second Term," by David Lawrence, The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., June 14, 1923, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/
"President Harding's Voyage of Understanding," The White House Historical Association, www.whitehousehistory.org/
