The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-04-15
our own rights and contracting our
| future relationShips


future relationships.
THE wiser course would seem to
be the acceptance of the confirmation
or our rights and interests as already
provided and to engage under the
existing treaty, assuming of course,
that this can be satisfactorily accom-
pllshed by such explicit reservations
l and notifications as will secure our
absolute freedom from inadvisable
commitments and safeguard all our
essential interests.
Neither congress nor the people
need my assurance that a request to
negotiate needed treaties of peace
would be as superf1uous and unnec-
essary as it is technically ineffective,
and / know in my own heart there is
none who would wish to embarfass
| the executive in the performance of
his duty when we all are so eager
to turn disappointment and delay into
gratifying accomplishment.
| Must Assert Our Rights.
THE WEAKNESS at home and the
disappointment to the world have
been compensated in the proof. that
this republic will surrender none of
the heritage Of nationality, but our
rights in International relationship
have to be asserted. They require
establishments in compacts of amity;
our part in REIMBURSEMENT and ressora-
ton cannot be ignored, and must
be defined
with the super-governing league
definitely rejected and with the world
so informed, and with the status of
peace proclaimed at home, we may
proceed to negotiate the covenanted
| relationships so essential to the rec
ignition of rights everywhere Of our
own nation and play our full part in
Joining the peoples of the world in
the pursuits of peace one more. Our
obligations in effecting European
tranquility because of wars invole-
part in the war itself. This restora-
tion must be wrought before the HUI
man procession can go onward again
We can be helpful because we are
moved by no hatreds and harbor no
fears. Helpfulness does not mean
ENHANCEMENT and participation in
economic adjustments does not mean
sponsorship for treaty commitments
which do not concern us and in which
we will have no part.
Invites Advice of Senate.
"In an all impelling wish to do the
most and best for our own republic
and maintain its high place among
nations and at the same time make
the fullest offering of justice to them,
l shall invite in the most practical
way the advice of the senate, after
acquainting it with all the conditions
to be met and obligations to be dis
charged, along with our rights to be
safeguarded. Prudence in making the
ton in making it effective cannot
lead us far astray. We can render
no effective service to humanity I'M
til we prove anew our own capacity
for CO. operation in the CO. ordination
of powers contemplated in the con-
stitution, and no covenants which
ignores our associations in the
war can be made for the future.
More, no helpful society of ma
and committed to peace until
the covenants re- establishing peace
are sealed by the nations which were
at war. To such accomplishment
to the complete re- establishment of
peace and its contracted relationship,
to the realization of our aspirations
for nations, associated for world help
fulness without world government,
we shall address ourselves, fully
paramount duty Of the United States
in this critical period of the world"
Restrict National Expenditures.
The president reserved his dis
cussion of foreign relations for the
concluding portion of his address.
He took up first the restriction Of
national expenditures to the limits
Of national income which he said
must be considered in connection with
measurably lifting the burdens of
war taxation. BY striking resolutely
at expenditures he said a solution
would be fastened and he warned
congress that to continue course of
unlimited expenditure would mean
inevitable disaster. Economy in
government" he said. would find it's
reflex in economy and thrift among
the people themselves"
Discussing readjustment of tax
alton, President Harding said that
the country did not expect and would
not approve a shifting of tax bur-
dens, but was more Interested in
"wiping out the necessity for i'm
posing them. The government" he
said, twas coTnitted to the repeal Of
the excess profits tax and to abolish
the inequities and unjustify expera-
tons in the present tax system
Discussed Tariff Revision.
Discussing tariff revision the presi-
dent reaffirmed his belief in the pro-
lection of American industry. "It is
our purpose" said he, "to prosper
America first. The privileges of the
| American market to the foreign pro-
Queer are offered too cheaply today,
and the effect of much of our own
productivity is the destruction of our
self reliance which is the foundation
of the Importance and good fortune Of
our peoples. Imports should pay
their fair share of our cost of gov
i eminent.
! Agriculture" the president said.
twas menaced with prices at pre-war
normals and, being further endanger-
ed by high cost of transportation from
farm to market through the influx of
foreign farm products" While he
urged emergency tariff revision i'm
mediately he spoke of permanent re-
vision later and said:
"The maturer revision of our tariff
laws should be based on the policy
Of protection resisting that selfish.
ness which turns to greed, whatever
concerned with that productivity at
home which is the source of all abid-
ing good fortune "Defation." the
president told congress, might well
receive it's attention because while
reduced costs in basic production had
been recorded, defation had failed to
reach~the mark where it could be
proclaimed to the great mass of con-
sumers. Congress, he said. might
| help speed price readjustments by