When Harding became president, the United States had not concluded a World War I peace. When WOODROW WILSON was president, the Senate refused to ratify the Treaty of Versailles. Technically, the country was still at war with Germany and Austria. On July 2, 1921, President Harding left a golf course in New Jersey. He signed a congressional joint resolution. It ended the state of war between the United States and Germany and Austria. After he signed the papers, Harding returned to his golf game.
The League of Nations
As a senator, Harding opposed U.S. membership in the League of Nations. President Harding's views did not change. In 1921, he informed Congress that he opposed ratification of the League of Nations treaty. Harding supported U.S. membership in the International Court of Justice (the World Court). But he was never able to persuade the Senate to ratify the World Court treaty.
Arms Control
President Harding's administration pioneered international arms control. In late 1921, he sponsored the Conference for the Limitation of Armament in Washington, D.C. At the conference, Britain, France, Japan, Italy, and the United States agreed to reduce the threat of naval war. They also tried to prevent other wars. They decided to submit their disputes to international arbitration.
The Budget Bureau
President Harding wanted the federal government to monitor the national budget. In 1921, he signed the Budget and Accounting Act. It centralized federal budgeting in the Budget Bureau. The act also placed the first limits on federal spending.
The Import Tariff
During the campaign, Harding supported an "America First" approach to foreign trade. That is, he wanted to protect U.S. industries from international competition. He favored higher duties on foreign goods. President Harding signed the Emergency Tariff Act (1921) and the Fordney-McCumber Tariff Act (1922). Both laws increased import duties.
The Federal Income Tax
President Harding supported lower federal income taxes. In 1921, he signed the Revenue Act. It reduced the income tax surcharge. The extra tax had been imposed by President WOODROW WILSON to finance the national defense during World War I.
Immigration
When Harding became president, immigration had been rising in the United States since the 1880s. During President CHESTER ARTHUR's administration, Congress banned Chinese immigration. In 1921, President Harding signed the Immigration Act. It reduced the number of European immigrants admitted to the United States.
Civil Rights
President Harding wanted to pursue moderate civil-rights policies. He spoke out in favor of racial equality. Most white Americans disliked the idea. The president also supported a federal law banning lynching. Southerners in Congress killed the antilynching bill. Harding never proposed another civil rights law.
Civil Liberties
During World War I, President WOODROW WILSON's administration jailed some antiwar activists. In 1921, President Harding pardoned Eugene Debs, the leader of the Socialist Party. (See THEODORE ROOSEVELT.) On the other hand, Harding was tougher on other political radicals. He declined to issue a blanket pardon for them. But he did order the Justice Department to review their petitions for clemency.
Teapot Dome and Other Political Scandals
President Harding's administration was tainted by several scandals. Teapot Dome was a federal oil reserve in Casper, Wyoming. Parts of the reserve were leased to private companies. The leases became the subject of the worst scandal in Harding's administration. In 1923, a Senate committee investigated the Teapot Dome leases. The committee found evidence of bribery and other crimes.
The Teapot Dome scandal engulfed the Harding administration. Albert Fall was the secretary of the Interior. (The Interior Department awarded federal oil leases.) Fall was convicted of accepting bribes in exchange for Teapot Dome leases. Jess Smith was a personal aide to the attorney general. He committed suicide when he was implicated in crimes.
The Harding scandals also reached into other agencies. Charles Forbes was the head of the Veterans Bureau. He was convicted of several crimes. They included bribery, conspiracy, and fraud. He took kickbacks and approved illegal sales of surplus military goods. One of Forbes' aides committed suicide.
The scandalous conduct of Harding's administration did not become public until after his death. He had transferred the Teapot Dome leases from the Navy Department to the Interior Department. But he was never personally implicated in crimes. Still, the Teapot Dome affair and other scandals forever tainted Harding's reputation.
WARREN HARDING AND HIS TIMES
The Smoke-Filled Room
The phrase the "smoke-filled" room dates to Harding's 1920 presidential campaign. The Republican Convention was held in Chicago, Illinois. After the convention deadlocked, Harding's campaign manager Harry Daugherty met with Republican party bosses. He persuaded them to back Harding's candidacy for president. The meeting was held in a room on the 13th floor of the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago.
Thereafter, the "smoke-filled" room became a symbol in U.S. politics. For many years, it represented the control exercised by party bosses in political elections. Many of the bosses smoked cigars or cigarettes. They often met in hotel rooms at national political conventions. In the meetings, they picked candidates for president.
In the 1960s, most states began requiring presidential primaries or open caucuses. The process of selecting presidential nominees became more democratic. Voters began choosing the candidates. The "smoke-filled" room lost its importance in U.S. politics.
Harding's Personal Conduct
When he became president, Harding said: "I cannot hope to be one of the great presidents, but perhaps I may be remembered as one of the best loved." No such fate awaited Harding. His administration is remembered as the most scandal-ridden in U.S. history.
Harding was never charged with committing a crime. Still, he set a low moral standard for the nation. Prohibition was the law of the land throughout his presidency. But Harding regularly drank alcohol in the White House. (At the very least, he was guilty of hypocrisy. As a senator, he supported Prohibition.)
Harding also gambled in the White House. He was rumored to have lost a set of White House china in a poker game. (The china was purchased when BENJAMIN HARRISON was president.) And he was accused of having extramarital affairs. Even as president, he sometimes visited a burlesque house in Washington, D.C.
The Carrie Phillips Affair
In 1905, Harding was living in Marion, Ohio. He began an affair with Carrie Phillips. She was the wife of his close friend James Phillips. Apparently, their spouses were unaware of the affair. The couples remained friends until Mrs. Phillips left her husband. She moved to Germany.
When World War I broke out, Mrs. Phillips returned to the United States. She resumed her affair with Harding. By then, he had been elected to the U.S. Senate. Mrs. Phillips was pro-German. She tried to persuade Harding to vote against the U.S. declaration of war against Germany. When he refused, she threatened to expose their affair. Harding did not change his mind. Mrs. Phillips did not expose their affair, which continued until 1920.
In 1920, Harding was nominated for president. The Republican National Committee (RNC) learned about his affair with Mrs. Phillips. By then, she had reunited with her husband. The committee paid the couple to keep quiet. They received a trip to Japan, $20,000 in cash, and a monthly allowance. The RNC paid them an allowance until Harding died in 1923.
The Nan Britton Affair
After he was elected to the Senate, Harding began an affair with Nan Britton. In 1919, Miss Britton gave birth to a daughter. She claimed Harding was the child's father. He was rumored to have sent Miss Britton child-support payments by Secret Service agents. Miss Britton's daughter was named Elizabeth Ann Christian.
After Harding died in 1923, Miss Britton tried to win a settlement for her daughter from his estate. But she lost the lawsuit. Harding's paternity was never proved. In 1927, Nan Britton published a sensational book. It was entitled The President's Daughter. The book immediately became a bestseller.
Harding's Death
Harding died in the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California in 1923. Mrs. Harding refused to authorize an autopsy. The cause of his death was never established. The absence of an official autopsy report led to all sorts of gossip. The rumor spread that the first lady had poisoned her husband. It was almost certainly untrue.
Still, Washington insiders claimed to have figured out a motive for murder. Some speculated that Mrs. Harding killed her husband because he was unfaithful. Others said she probably wanted to save him from impeachment. In 1930, Gaston Means published a book airing the accusations. It was entitled The Strange Death of President Harding. But Means had little credibility. He was a convicted felon.
The Harding Home
Harding's home is located in Marion, Ohio. The Hardings designed the house. It was completed in 1891. In 1920, Harding campaigned for the presidency from the front porch of the house. It was rented while he was president. After Harding died in 1923, Mrs. Harding moved to another house in Marion. Before her death, Mrs. Harding willed the Harding Home to the Harding Memorial Association. The house was restored around 1965. It is open to the public.
The Harding Memorial
The Harding Memorial contains Harding's tomb. It is located in Marion, Ohio. Mrs. Harding planned the marble monument. It was completed in 1927. At the time, the Harding administration scandals were still fresh in everyone's mind. Washington dignitaries would not attend a dedication ceremony. The Harding Memorial was not dedicated until 1931. President HERBERT HOOVER spoke at the dedication.
