Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-03-06
Bnttlcships to Protect Americans!

nd RESIDENT HARDING within twenty
- four hours of his assumption OF the
= dignity and acceptance of the duties of the
chief magistracy is facing domestic prob
lens of grave character, and may be
|. called upon at any hour, owing to the trucu-
silent attitude of Germany, to subject his
/ avowed policy of isolation from and non
3 involvement in foreign entanglements to r.
decisive test.
While his inaugural address. insistent
upon the preservation of peace, il is evil
dent. from the initial order OF the Sec
rotary of the Navy dispatching battlcships
to the theater of hostilities between Pana-
ma and Costa Rica to protect the lives and
property of Americans, that our present
chief magistrates avowed love OF peace, in
(which we all share, will, not deter him from
doing his full duty when the lives and in
sterests of our nationals in other land are
Simperilled.
Indorsing as we do, 1nnd heartily, this
first significant act of the Harding admins
stration, we cannot refrain from the prcdic-
stion that if occasion arise Eve pray that It
will not) when as a result of outraGes upon
civilization, such as the sinking of unarmed
passenger ships, or an assault upon the in
5alienabie rights of our great nation. such
sas the order of the Kaiser, permitting the
United States to send one ship week to
Falmouth, Mr. Harding, following in the
Footsteps of the great man who preceded
him as President. will sound the call to arms
#to vindicate the honor OF America.
$ We have cited only two of the many hor-
&rors that are chargeable to GeTmany's ac-
that finally impellcd Wood
row Wilson to unsheathe the sword, and it
would be treason to think, despite his cmpha-
sized aversion to "foHefgn eatanglements ("
I'll, cjp I, IA 49, n,
Sin gswould purchase peace at the price of
national dishonor No. We are supremely
confident that if confronted with the ter
rtble tragedies that staggered the world
when the kaiscrs armies were marching on
Paris and his submarines were numbering
4 noncombatants on the seas, President Hard
Sing would not hesitate in ordering our
&tToops overseas or 10 any quarter Of the
ssglobe where their proved vaor might he
#needed 10 crush tyranny and preserve the
ssfTeedom of humankind.
We firmly believe that when his four
SSyears OF office have passed-and may each
ssssyear be marked By success--that President
sSHarding. tried in the fierce fire OF expe-
sxYtence will willingly cOnccde that Mr. Will
sson lived up TO the Golden Rule during his
Sstght years of exalted servicc-service that
sEiias won for him enduring fame. the bless
sstngB Of bondmen made free and the graft
Ntnde of countless millions yet unborn to the
syfreedom insured By his high courage and
SIslofty ideals.
Wherefore, pledgng answering alleg-
satance In peace or war 10 all patriotic. pro-
aggressive policies formulated by the govern
aEnient at Washington we cannot refrain from
Stthanking God for giving us Woodrow VIII
sssSon as our President during the prosperous
kNdays or the iirst four years and the unprece-
as5SSdented perils OF the final four years of his
s#Bpoch king administration