New-York tribune., 1920-10-10

offensive armament to-day than be-
fore the war, and that it is daily en-
dangered by the irresponsible men in
control of these forces. They will not
forget that the world, including our
serves, IS groaning to-day under taxes
imposed by these armaments and that
international association is the only
way out.
Republican Party Constructive
"The issue of this principle of
proper organized action Of nations to
prevent war will not down. 1t be-
longs to no party and no creed. 1t
VII! be the critical issue of forward
looking men in all nations until it
succeeds IN finally overthrowing mill
tarism as basis Of world relations.
The responsibilities of government
should IN my view, be transferred The
Republican party has the skill and con-
structive ability in its membership to
meet them. If it fails to provide peace
on terms that establish organized in
ternational association to prevent war;
If it fails to attain it by methods which
secure the good will of the entire
world; if it fails to provide those
great measures of internal progress
and reconstruction that we require in
the next four ye lrs, 1t should and must
pay to public pinion the same penalty
for that failure which we demand
should be paid by the Democratic party.
| have no hesitation in saying that the
successful conduct of this government
and the consummation of the pledges
entered upon are of far more import
than the preservation of a party in
Office, and no real citizen will maintain
the contrary.
There are other great issues that
have insistently demanded solution
ever since the armistice. They are
predominantly of an economic char
acter- They are not solely Of war
origin; some have cumulated over
years. The readjustment of war tax
alton and debt, the high cost of living,
transportation. agricultural rcadjust-
ment, the development Of our industrial
employm ent relations, the wise guild
ance in the provision of our deficient
housing, the reorganization of the busi-
ness administration Of the Federal gov
ernment, and host of other domestic
questions demand constructive ham
ding.
Unexampled Profiteering
"The Democratic party claims that
it could not secure legislation from an
antagonistic Congress. l wish to point
out that even if this were true it was
the business of the party in power to
have assembled the best brains in the
United States to each of these prob
lens and TO have laid before Congress
and the American people some sort of
well-rounded program that could. have
had public discussion. This was not
done.
eve have, since the armistice, gone
through period of unexampled specu-
lation and profiteering and, with all
ernment asked for, we have seen moth
ing but the spectacular attempt of po-
licemen to arrest economic forces.
There is no better example of the
total futility of the methods employed
than in the handling of the sugar prob
lem. Here is a commodity in which the
Administration could have continued
well-esta blished organization, the
Sugar Equalization Board; could have
purchased through it the Cuban crop,
could have supplied the American
people with full and ample sup
plies at a retail price of not more
than II cents a pound. AS result of
their failure in this single item our
people have paid as high as 80 cents
a pound for sugar. representing 1S
cents q pound contribution to the spec
ulators Of the world.
Eighteen cents is a small sum, but
when it is applied to our monthly con-
sumption of sugar it is more than
500, 100000 a month charge upon the
American consumer. The price of
sugar has recently fallen, the inevitable
collapse of a fearful speculation; but
what about the train of prcventablc
charges upon the community it has left
behind?
obstructive criticism is role I in
tcnsely dislike. To me its use to-day
has warranty in proof only Of two
things first, the necessity of the
retirement of the Democratic party in
this administration; and, second, of
equal Importance, the responsibilities
of the Republican party in the next
four years"