The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1921-03-04
NAVAL BIGeTRK.

ASSAUCAb A1aiu luS was Ilk0 SC4Ct
of wax, to be easily pressed late an,
sort OF shape. He began we'll b.
recommending reductions Of expendi
lures and by cutting down the size O.
the army. The impression was :
good one, and Democrats everywhere
were looking on with pleasure. The,
were about ready to enter the Repub
lican household.
People with one mind, driven by
long endurance and imposed hard
ships, swept the ballot box last No
yember with protest that ragged
like storm from one end of the
country to the other, the like of
which had never been witnessed i'm
this country before.
No one can possibly be SO stusiS
as to mistake the cause of the reyo-
luton. Some little complaint is
heard as to the expenses Of war. bat
: the wholesale extravaganza since the
war, chargeable to both parties-the
abuse of power to tax the people
S for immense war, navy, and other
unheard of and unprecedented gev-
eminent Establishments - coupled.
unfortunately but nevertheless true,
with the taking of the boys to France
and the manning and killing of many
OF them, constitute and comprise ev-
cry issue of that campaign which
moved men and women to vote.
The irony of that occasion-the
humiliation of the President and the
collapse of mocracy-though a
tragedy was only an incident.
And SO President Harding, who
seemed to be actuated by independ-
ence OF thought and action, made it
known to his friends in Congress that
there must be reduction and re-
trenchment in legislation. He gave
the most inspiring signs of genuine
intelligence.
No man could have changed the
tide of war. 1t was inevitable, but
the other-the waste of money. ene
OF the misfortunes of war. and the
work of designing political ciisues.
was criminal and unparasaahae.
And now, comes, Mr.. Harding, be-
fore DR.. Jekyl and now Mr.. Hyde, in
dorsing the navy program OF one-
half billion to be followed aext gear
by almost if not quite one kiliisn Ter
a navy while Europe lies PROSTATE.
This is a travesty.
1t kills public confidence In Presi-
dent Harding. 1t destroys the hspes
of American people in their execu-
tive and representatives. Ceagress
was proceeding after the suggestions
of the President, and now a reversal
of the order is called for. Fer what,
In order that the nation may bsw to
the navy clique and in order that the
U. S. Navy, after the country is near
ly bankrupt, may strut and bluf on
the high seas and eventually, maybe
soon, embroil us in another war.
No wonder the service mea are
disappointed Lots of these men are
sensible enough to defer action on
bonus, but when they see Congress
reveling in waste extracted like
blood from the people, naturally they
feel that some of this should moro ap-
propriateIy be given to them. whe
can say that they are wrsaes [ wsar-
rant you that if Congress haa ere
ceeded economically WITH its apprs-
priations, there would have been 40
great demand from the ex-servioe
men.
President Harding has awiadiea
again to the very ordinary maa tAat
he was in the Senate. 1t was ex-
pecting great deal for Aim to be
otherwise, but it is true. PITY tbs
true. tits true It's pity"
Read the very pcrtineat editorial
in this weeks paper FROM the Satxr-
day Evening Post if you think we
are too small to discuss the subject.