The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-12-08

&bD SOD1(4yAB ~ CO0UoNDCOI
u biz intimate friends In proceed
~ slowly and carefully. and. every.
BODY hopes, with sure-footsd eau.
t3oo.
President Wilson deals with the
treaty and League Of Nations only |
= tie most abstract way in his an
nuA message 70 congress. He does,
However, mako specific reference to
~ state Of the nations finances |
md seeks 70 put the burden partly |
! ~ tho war. partly on the failure
\ - the last congress 70 reduce tho
{ cost Of living and partly on the in |
I Nt6erenca .oe the legislative body TO
q The Recommendations mada BY the
B Wilson administration In the last
! session.
q Tho president insists that our
q economic future depends upon the
! maintenance Of tax receipts at Oil
i tumcisutly high level" and he en-
q phasises tho fundamental fact that I
b sseven and o half billions Of war
q Indebtedness mature within the
X next two and Q half years."
& Mr.. Wilson advocates economy
+ but brings out . fact seldom real
lied about the method Of making
n appropriations, namely the practice
Ii u taking money out Of the so-called
Il revolving funds. The president
II coaldn't resist the temptation to
N point out by implication that, al
4 though the Republicans In the last
Y congress boastsd about reducing
N the estimate Of the executive de-
a bertments by . billion dollars, they
X turned sround and authorized the
u expenditure OF over billion dol
& lars I'm addition to the amounts
u shown In the usual compiled state
& ments Of appropriations.
e Taxes Quiet Fling.
The president takes q quiet fling
It tho people who insisted upon the
II prompt return Of the railroads to
pfivale ownership by pointing out
that the finances Of the entire gov
efnment have been disturbed by
ii the extraordinary burdens thrown
upon the treasury by the trans
d p0rtation act" he declares that
over six hundred million dollars has
q already been paid 70 the railroads
and that further payments estimat-
ed to aggregate about six hundred
and fifty million dollars more must
y still be paid to the railroads dur
j ing the current year. In, other
words, the president points out that
the railroads cost the government
~ IN the neighborhood OF q billion
dollars which wasn't mentioned
very much when the Republicans
were talking about the amount OF
y money they saved during the last
session.
n PAIRING Shot
Mr.. Wilson's message was regard
Cd by many who heard 1t Is having
plainly the partisan touch. 1t was
looked upon as q parting shot a
%the Republicans who shouted econ.
0my and are now confronted witt
/ the serious responsibility Of meet
ting seven aud half billion dollars
sOf Indebtedness and other big obi
gations. Mr.. Wilson approves Sec
Mretary Houston's program for II,
Arevision which will be made public
] sta his annual report tomorrow.
Specifically the president take,
Aoccasion to urge loan for Arme
mia to be supervised by q specia
s&commission and he lays on the door
ssstep Of congress . Recommendation
sSthat the Philippines be given theil
Independence a. . proof OF Amer
Nca's sincerity in talking about self
\ dissemination for small nations.
II Only Tariff Reference.
II Tho only reference to the tarif
10 . suggestion that the manufac
kure Of dyestuifs and related chemi
GALS b protected. Mr.. Wilson re
peats the recommendations he madt
40 the Republicans during the LAS
Kcengress. namely. the passage Of I
sold storage law regulating thu
lime that goods may be kept IL
etorays and the marking OF prices
spn every commodity shipped In in
ssierstate commerce, including tn,
polling or market price at the time
1le goods went into storage 50 thai
;l1o purchaser might be able tc
learn the profits Of the middle man
10 also refers again to his recon.
mendaton In regard to federal II.
pensss for all corporations engaged
d interstate commerce. The clos:
ing paragraph 10 looked upon a. Z
Saledictory on the treaty question
md Of Mr.. Wilson's intention Ia
keep on lighting for the League Of
Nations. In his conclusion, ths
president said:
st Faith Of America.
II have not 20 much laid before
sou . series Of Recommendations
gentlemen. a. sought to utter . con-
4es1ion Of faith. Of the faith IN
khich ! was bred and which Il ID
ny solemn purpose to stand by IN
I'll my last fighting day. believe
this to DO the faith Of America. the
nth Of the future and Of all the
ictories which await national &C
hon IN tho days to come. whethsE
y America or elsewhere"
Tho president did mot 90 to con-
fess. Clerks rad the 0essage n
1ach Of the two houses. Meanwhile
NJ. Wilson himself chaSed under
- advice OF his physician and 9TH
- In the household who thought
ut while he might be we'll enough
Rad the address. he ought not
ke tAe risk Of excitement or the
EnoqAWaeucee q . WAVE q emotion
los1any cCoGfsss Tor The l1sl