The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1921-05-20
FOUND IN OUR
EXCHANGES
The New Foreign Policy.

Those who have desired, as well as
those who have opposed, a reversal of
what, for eight years, has been the
recognized foreign policy of the Unit
ed States need have no further doubt
as to the program which has been out
lined by the Harding Administration.
At quite frequent intervals since
March A there have appeared definite
statements of the governments poll
cies in dealing with world affairs. The
matters dealt with have been disposed
of in a maner which permits of no
misunderstanding. 1t has been made
increasingly apparent, as one State
Department note has emphasized and
confirmed the premise of the preced-
ing documents, that there is to be,
even if there has not already been, a
return, so far as such a return is pos
sible, to a policy of Americanism.
There is to be no withdrawal from
those friendships and beneficient al
liances which existed for many years
before 1914, but it seems to be quite
apparent that the desire is to rees-
tablish such friendly relationships
upon the basis which existed prior to
the war, rather than to enter into
more intimate alliances. 1t is admit
ed, of course, that the status u ante
bellum, of which so much was heard
in the early days of the a may
never be actually restored. There have
been both political and economic up
heavals which compel the recognition
of new alignments and new relations.
But it must appear that it is the in
tention of President Harding and his
advisers to see to it that the United
States returns, as nearly as possible.
to the beaten path in which it found
prosperity and safety. This does rot
mean isolation in a selfish and self
satisfied sense. Few who. Of old, pro-
claimed their faith in the policies for
which Americanism was synonymous
felt it necessary to apologize. Some
who were prone to complain, at times,
that there was a lack of that agrees
~iveness which they felt a powerful
government should manifest, in sea
son and out of season, usually came to
the point where they realized that
wisdom, fair-dealing. justice, and I'M
selfishness not infrequentTy caused
the mountains of discord to be remov-
ed.
But it cannot be said that the de-
claration of the present and future
administrative policy indicates a tend
ency toward re%actionism. 1t does not
indicate reactionism when the plum
met m to rest at the exact per-
pendicular. Mr.. Harding long ago
urged an early return to "normaIcy."
Evidently the construction placed up
on his words was somewhat clrcum-
scribed. Those who heard or applied
only to material and economic con-
ditions. Now it seems that he had a
broader and larger conception. A re-
turn to ~"normalcy," to his understand
ing, evidently means a renewed con
s%ecration to the traditions and funda-
mentals of government as Americans
understand government. 1t is not to
be forgotten that there is still a great
work to be done in restoring the equil-
ibrium Of the world. in bringing all
the plummetS, large and small, to per-
pendicular, but it is sought to make
it equally clear that in this work each
nation must do its full part. 1t is
intimated, though not with undue en-
phasis, that America in no way added
to the burdens of the friendly powers
by her activity in the war. There
is no doubt whatever that, so far as
the present administration is concern
ed, the United States has withdrawn