The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1921-03-18
Mr.. Harding's inaugural Address.

he assumes the duties of the Presi-
dency, as we'll as to the rcYerent
spirit of conservation in which he
undertakes them. 1t gives no clue
to the means and processes by which
he will endeavor to solve the diff
cult and perilous problems that wait
on his decision. If for an hour the
world hushed itself in expectancy of
hearing in words which the mind
could grip to what precise ends he
would use the immense power that
has come to him, sense of disap-
pointment must have come to it with
his concluding word. Vagueness
characterized the deliverances of Mr..
Harding during the campaign above
every other quality save their elo
quence. His inaugural address is in
no degree distinguished in this re-
spect. He declares his hopes, his as
pirations and his ideals, and they are
creditable to his soul and warrant
the purity and loftiness of his pur-
poses. But the phrases become elu
sive when one seeks to extort from
them some testimony of the means
and measures that are to be chosen
for the realization of these hopes, as
pirations and ideals. In the presence
of his problems, Mr.. Harding gives
them no ineligible answer. The
world must wait the short time when
an imperious need of action shall
press upon him undeniably to learn
what is the decree of his judgment.
The world was curious to know
what Mr.. Harding thought of the
reparation demands made On Ger
many, and what counsel he had to
give to those who are graphing
with the momentous task of rescuing
Europe from the thrall of war. It's
curiosity is left unsatisfied. With
respect to those overshadowing sub
jects, Mr.. Harding is silent. He
gives no evidence of the concern
which we may be sure he feels in the
outcome Of that momentous enter
prise. Nor does he in any degree
satisfy the curiosity to know to what
degree he would have the United
States join with the other nations of
the world in seeking to safeguard it
from another such challenge to its
civilization as it has just conquered.
There is the renewed assurance of its
willingness to cooperate with them
in that project, but whether in the
degree that will make it's contribu-
ton considerable, it is still left to
conjecture. Such conjecturing as it
may indulge in must lead it to dis
appointing conclusion. Mr.. Harding
delivers an apostrophe to nationalism
that is without significance unless it
is meant to imply that it is menaced
by internationalism And a fear of
internationalism must warn one who
is possessed of it against joining in
any cooperative enterprise which
entails risk and liability. Co-opera-
ton of that enfeebled kind will hard
ly be thought by men having sense
of realities as sufficient to abate the
danger of war. To the League OF
Nations there is no reference, nor
even allusion, unless his condemna-
ton of the idea of 'supergovern-
ment" may be thought to be one, as
perhaps it is, since that hobgoblin
was made to do an effective service
in Mr.. Harding's behalf.
Mr.. Harding is not much more def
mite when he turns to the considera-
ton of our domestic problems, save
that, with respect to the tariff, he
makes it manifest, albeit superfiuous-
ly, that he would make the preserva-
ton of the home market the first and
highest concern, and be content with
such. access to the markets of the
world as that policy of exclusiveness
might leave to us. He testifies his
recognition of the elemental and OBJ
vious fact that 1--WE can not sell
where we do not buy" but seems to
think, nevertheless, that we can linn
it our purchases abroad without cor
respondingly limiting our sales
abroad. There is nothing to indicate
that Mr.. Harding sees in the altered
condition of the country and of the
world anything that modifies the an
cient formulas of protectionism.
For the present the country must
be content with the comforting
that the direction of its
affairs has passed to one who is ami
mated by the same lofty sense of JUS
tice that during the eight years has
guided the stricken man whom he
succeeds. There may be and will be
conflict of opinion with respect to
the expedience of the policies and
measures Mr.. Harding will propose.
But there can be none with respect
to the purity of the motive which