South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-05-26
PRIEST HARDING'S EFFICIENCY
PROGRAM.

HNOOFNAM.
Pres't Harding's New York address. in which he
promises 10 place the government on sound.
economic basis. even at the cost Of offending "a
certain class OF politicians" promises well for the
American public Likewise with that part OF his
address that would unload from the shoulders OF
the government numerous activities taken dur
ing the war. and shift them back individual
terprises. The president Of a right mind, Ear
as concerns his speech, at least.
How different. however this address delivered
a. luncheon OF the Academy OF Political Science
IN comparison with OF the presidents cam
raisn harangues He must have realized that he
was addressing body OF more or less educated
human beings Anyhow. he cautious to avoid
certain charges that common with him dur
ing the campaign. and. in fact repudated himself
in a number Of instances. Surprising as it may
seem. Prest Harding has at last discovered that
the strong centralized power employed during the
war was essential to wartime success. and that
though the rush with which things were necessarily
;ccomplished resulted in enormous costs. it
well worth it. lie says:
Everywhere we turn we note that govern
nent has in recent times assumed a more COM
pick relationship to the public than It ever sus-
tanned before. The mobilization of power,
industrial forces and financial recOurses which
was made necessary in the wars exigencies.
could Oily have been accomplished through the
exertion Of the utmost powers of government.
These powers exerted to the extreme limit
and stupendousy important results we're at
aimed. AS result Of that demonstration of
governments capacity 10 force great results in
Emergencies there has grown up a school OF
thought which assumes that even in time Of
peace the autocratic authority might well
oe exercised in the general interest
Those who look below the surface know
that the things which governments accomI lsh-
ed during the war We're accomplished at stag
gering cost. cost which society could not bear
'or long. a that has left society burdened
with debts which mortgage generations of the
future. They know that the feversh seeming
OF prosperity was not genuine but was possible
only society literally burning up
its stocks Of capital and that this destruction
Of capital responsible for the reaction and
depression which felt universally"
To be sure in this the president did not give up
entirely the d-time animosities. He could not
escape referring to the power invested in the execu
tive during the "autocratic powers" The
fact that they vested in him by congress. the
representatives, OF the people. makes differences
20 the president as long he was not the execI-
tive upon whom the powers conferred He
seemingly can not understand that autocracy is an
assumption OF power and not conferred power.
Powers. when conferred by the people, no differ
ence how indirectly. democratic, and there Is
no record of our war president exceeding his CON
ferred powers in any instance. Centralized power
Sc one thing and autocratlc power may be quite
another thing
The war time powers exercised by the war admin
istraton were accordingly no more autocratic than
those which the president hopes to have conferred
upon him through reorganization of the govern
mental system for times OF peace We commend
him his hopes There is unquestionabIy lot
OF lost motion In the various departments in Wash
ingtcn, and much red tape" that might be elm
mated. As to the red tape, however. il must be
remembered that It has grown up in the various
departments as a means OF keeIing check upon
public officials and governmental dealings. and that
generally where II has been cut" the result has
been to get someone into trouble or discredit the
government in manner more costly than the red
tape itself
We had a specimen Of cutting red tape" during
thu war when Charles NJ. schwab used his scissors
on il as head OF the Emergency Fleet corporation
81 -ria in the case Of Gen. G. G. Dawes in dis
Doc war material over in France They "cut
Ia. 60. tape" and in consequence il was made 70
appca. that sthwab had gotten away with several
hundred thousand dollars and Dawes had swindled
the government out or several million because he
didn't wait for o. X from Washington before
c0ecting his sale The appearances proved trouble
some though false Perhaps there much red
tape" IN the various government departments but
there is some question II much is not better
than not enough particularly as long as the Amer
lean people continue hyPercritioaI a present.
The country viii anticipate Pest Hardinss eflc-
iency program with much approval No question
but that there for Improvement through q
reorganization IN the various departments and re-
gardless Of who accompHshes il. he will be deserv-
ing Of public gratitude.