New-York tribune., 1920-09-12

} X X L X Is u ~ Il, 5 u n
I tapping and leakage and ineficiency
This national budget plan, passed al
ready by a Republican Congress and
. vetoed, we must put into force.
1--WE must put our postal service
upon new basis.
eve must extend the merit system in
the choice and promotion of Federal
employees.
1--WE must not only lop off the useless
jobs being done, but. we must so re-
ward efficiency and value among our
public service employees that we may
continue to have their loyalty because
we have given decent pay and the ex-
| pectation Of promotion when promotion
| is earned.
1--WE must conduct a careful scru-
i tiny Of our great executive departments
SO that similar labors shall not be
| duplicate and so that similar functions
shall be grouped and not scattered
eve must go to men who know for
j. advice in administrative Improvement;
| we must have to aid us more men
trained in agriculture, more technical
men, more men who know business and
! the practices of commerce and trade
We must organ. &c our administra-
tive government upon the basis of
American business so that the faith
Of the American people in the COM
mon sense of the Republican party
to put America into shape again
shall not have been misplaced.
81 look upon the responsibility Of
an executive officer as being based first
that of capable men called to execute
An executive officer of any other than
government business would be dis
charged if he allowed paralysis and
! perversion of the functioning Of that
business, while he and his followers
were engaged in addressing advice to
| the neighbors.
"Let them who say that the American
people are not awalc to these matters
take lew counsel. The government is
the peoples business, and they will not
see it broken down. The government
is the concern of every Americana of
every man, woman and child. We are
! shareholders in it and we are looking
! forward with relief to an end of mis-
management
Haphazard Expansion
"This great Federal machine has
/ grown up in century Of haphazard
! expansion, until, as recently described,
it resembles IAN antiquated central
building with large number of sur
rounding sheds and cottages, over
crowded with overlapping officials and
saturated with methods of organiza-
! tion and administration fully fifty
years behind the times
"An eminent Senator once said he
could substitute his private business
methods for government practices and
save hundreds of millions. 1t was
/ thought to be true when he said it,
and we might treble the figures for
the saving now
democracy has done nothing in
eight years to cure the waste and in
efficiency; it has rather added to
them. we are the ineffective prodi-
gals of the world.
"Here in America we have developed
the most proficient and most efficient
types of business organization and ad-
ministration in the world; thev have
shown the greatest capacity for ad-
ministrative vision. We mean to call
that administrative quality and fitness
into the service of the government and
business, not merely talk about gov
! ernment progress.
"Conditions are calling, capabilities
await, the needs are urging and we
pledge a Republican administration to
lnaugurate new order-a busine IS
government, with business efficiency,
and q business concern for public ap-
proval.
Must Keep Our Contracts
Because l am speaking to business
men, and because they have a special
appreciation of the Importance of clear
ness in their contracts, I have a very
special matter in mind that l want to
speak to you about to-day; lnciden.
tally, it ought to be said that one of
the most important things in the re-
lationship Of men is the keeping of
contracts. We must perform our legal
obligations with great fidelity, and we
must always hold our moral obligations
as inviolable. If every one keeps his
contracts faithfully there would not be
many conflicts among either the peo-
! pies or the nations of the world.
"1he special matter which l have in
mind relates to the ambiguity, or the
conflict of terms, in a very important
contract which it has been proposed
that America shall enter upon with
other leading nations of the world If
the agent of a business establishment
should negotiate to contradictory an
agreement an explanation would be
called for quickly.
Some Of you will recall that Mr.
/ Lansing, who was the Secretary Of
State, and who was in a position to
know pretty intimately about what was
going on during the negotiations at
Paris, made the very frank statement
that If the American people knew what
! the VerJalllcs covenant would let them
! IN for they never would stand for it's
adoption. 1t was for such frank cx-
! pressions. and like fidelity to America,
that Secretary Lansing was retired
! from the service at the moment of his
highest need to our country. I want
! to point out to you, and through you
to America, one of the dangerous
things Secretary Lansing was thinking
about when he was speaking for If
nation. | am sure it is contradiction
that no business man would tolerate
in contract to which he is expected
TO append his signature
| Attacks League article XXI
"The thing in mind is the consid-
Grafton given to the great Monroe
Doctrine in the league covenant and
the very evident possibility. if not,
indeed. probability, of the neces-
sary abandonment Of that doctrine
by this country if we had entered
! upon the covenant as negotiated by
the President. | do not presume to
give you an explanation as to the
source Of contradictions or the prob
able intent thereof However. the
plain facts are that in the first draft
OF the League covenant the Monroe
Doctrine. that strong declaration of a
| great national DOlicV which we hovo