Evening star., 1921-07-31
BY THOMAS n. MARSHALL.
Former Vice President OF the United
States.

TIME article In the covenant
of the league of nations
which provided for a COM
mission to bring about the
Limitation Of armament was. to
my mind. a strong and very
potent argument for the adoption
OF the covenant. In the cam
paign of 1920. however, I met men
who qualified their approval Of
this article with an .ff" or a
but" even though they earnest
ly desired not only disarmament,
but peace and arbitration. The
sad history OF mankind with ref
erence to the tricks Of diplomacy
had been such that cautious men
had learned to fear the Greeks
even when bearing gifts. The
covenant of the league was reIe-
gated to the lumber room of good
intentions. Whether 1t ever will
be brought out for the use of
mankind is veiled from human
sight. But one thing Is sure
unless the administration of Pres
ident Harding lessons the chances
Of war and enhances the hopes
of peace. a long suffering people
will demand a reconsideration Of
the subject.
AS spokesman OF ou- govern
ment in foreign affairs. the Presi-
dent has called for a conference
of the leading powers on the
question Of ornaments. All men
are with him on this. The whole
world applauds. He will have the
support of all parties in America
and the prayers of women and
men everywhere.
Public consideration Of the arma-
ment question. including the prob
lens of the Pacific as presented by
the covenant Of the league of ma
tions. was largely altruistic. We
had not then passed far enough
from the war to be moved by its
financial phases. We were still un-
der the delusion that America was
a limitess treasure field. that all
we had to do was to sell bonds and
burn the. proceeds in the form Of
powder. 1t 10 now the morning
after. We have recovered from our
orgie Of patriotism with a swollen
head and a hattened pocketbook.
We are face to face with danger
to our institutions. While I may
consent to the statement of courts
that the power to tax is the power
to destroy as a correct interpreta-
tion Of the rules Of government.
deny that the power to tax in
wolves the right to destroy. And
Germany or in free America the
exercise Of the power OF taxation
carried too far will result in the
overthrow Of government.
Waging a war is like buying an
automobile or taking a wife in
marriage. The original cost is
easily and gladly provided. 1t is
the upkeep that gets on ones
nerves. Take. for instance. civil
war pensions. The first pension
bill / signed for the survivors and
the widows and children of the
veterans of that conflict carried
$3.50. 100000. That was in 1913. The
last bill signed was in 1921
eight years later and eight years
farther from the close of the war.
It carried more than twice $780,
100000. And with this bill came
one placing upon the pension rolls
thereafter survivors of the Span
ish-American war who had reached
the age Of sixty years.
The more than 100000 men who
served in the world war now have
claims against the government.
Europe Is practically bankrupt.
unable or unwilling to pay even
the interest on her indebtedness to
US. Vast sums have been taken
from the taxable wealth of our
country and invested in tax-ex-
empt securities. Figures mean but
little to me. yet reasons exist to
convince all OF us that the gov
ernment is facing embarrassment
in the matter of meeting its legal
and moral obligations. Deferment
of some obligations is necessary.
+ + + +
It is surprising how many men
there are in this world who think
that the fate of the republic de-
pends on the outcome of motion
to strike out "nevertheless" and
to insert Notwithstanding" The
creative and critical faculties wage
war eternally. The omniscient
eye has to keep close watch upon
the egotistic 1. The common run
of us have sympathy for the store
proprietor whose sense Of owner
ship was being Jared constantly
by his clerk saying: "Yes, madam,
we have it" or mo, sir. we do not
keep it," Remonstrance about his
use of the word I'VE" did no good.
Objections finally became an OBJ
session with the owner. One even
inD standing at the door and