Evening star., 1921-03-12
Editorial Digest
The Inaugural Address.

| dS 1GeSIucuI VI IHC ShiSSA
States seems to come very near being
''all things to all men," if the varied
| Interpretation of his inaugural address
| by the newspapers Of the country may
be taken as a guide. Although there
/ is no lack of praise, even from papers
| which do not hold to his political ideals,
| there is poie-wide disagreement as to
| whether he outlined concrete domestic
program or merely vaguely described a
general policy. AS to foreign AFFAIRS
there is even greater variation OF
opinion. Some see the United States,
| under republican guidance. taking
| prominent place in the concert OF ma :
tons working for world peace, while
others read a prediction toward national
! aloofness in the Presidents remarks.
Sincerity and patriotism. as wei as
| platitude and reaction are discerniose IN
Mr.. Harding's creed. according to the
| tint Of the spectacles through wnich its
critics examined it.
The impression of most writer's is eX-
pressed In the Kansas City Times tinde
pendcn) and the Chicago Daily News
| Cndependent), both of which see the m
augural address mot as program OUT
as "a confession Of faith" and as sucn.
| in the words of the Times, lit is appeal
ing" If. as the Chicago Post inde-
pendent) suggests, the President shows
| the country more what he wants to do
than how he is going to do it, the New
York Globe independently finds forgive
ness for thus ''uttering general sentl-
mcnts' in the custom which makes IN
aueuration day, by common consent" not
an occasion for the PRONUNCIATION OF de1
mite policies, but "a breathing space or
good feeling" in which we celebrate,
not the successful politician, but the
poor boy become famous"
Agreeing with the New YORK
NCnrlI (demncr2tic1 that there Is a
good deal more optimism in the Pres
| ident's address than the facts war
rant" the Newark News independ-
| ent) feels that Mr.. Harding contents
himself, and seeks to content the
country, with a blanket assertion that
! all will yet be well. that what the
| future holds for US is somehow good:
But what that future is or how 1t is
| to be brought about ARE things about
| which Mr.. Harding is vague II not
| faltering."
Those writer's who. with the Balti-
| more Evening Sun independent dem
| ocratic). discern lack of dehn1te-
ness and concreteness" in the address
| apply that characterization chiefly to
! the Presidents treatment of interna-
| tional relations. and they agree with
| the New York Times independent
democratic) that ION this subject he
| is cautious and vague" Because of
1
preston" (Roanoke Times, demo-
cratic) the Brooklyn Eagle Gndepend- :
ent democratic) does not know yet
| whether the new President still be-
lieves that the league of nations is a
dead issue or whether he will come
around to the opinions wnich az
firm a certain amount of faith in the
possibilities of the league if we enter 1t
under reservations protecting our in
terests'' But the Oklahoma City
Oklahoman (democratic) believes that
"indeflniteness" on this poknt can be
explained by the very probable reason
that Mr.. Harding has not yet made
issues" Either he has no well de-
fined thought as to what the attitude
of the country should be-" the Phila-
delphia Record Cndependent demo-
cratic)@ surmises, "or else he is re-
serving this subject for a separate
While to the Harrisburg Patriot Gin
dependent democratic) "a search for
a definite plan of world concert is in
vain." the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot
(democratic) sees the olive branch
still held out to an association" and
ldemocratic) notes that "he does not
shut the door to the entry Of the
United States into association with
other countries in order to compass
the main objects of the league Of ma
tions." But even in dealing with his
world-Herald independently finds "the
pronouncement SO replete with
suggestion OF but, however. never
theless Notwithstanding. and on the
other hand" that 1T is clear that the
command Forward" has not yet been
given"
In striking contrast to the views
presented thus far. many other news
papers, republican for the most part,
agree with the declaration of the
ing more precise and comprehensive
has place in the state papers Of any
Of the Presidents"
The Philadelphia Bulletin Gnde-
pendent republican, sees mo room
for doubt. nor lack Of definiteness"
in q declaration which. according to
the St. Louis Globe-Democrat (repub-
lican) means unQuestionably that
President Harding intends to carry
out his pledge, and the pledge of the
republican party. to seek the estab-
lishment of an association Of ma
In the opinion of the Burlington tVt)
News independent republican,
nothing can be clearer" than the
definite foreign policy" the new
President announces, in which the
Philadelphia North American tpro-
gressive) holds. mot only is rejec-
tion of membership in the present
league unequivocal. but 1t is forti-
fed by sweeping declarations of prin-
ciples and policies which are irreconcil-
able with American participation in any
such alliance of nations
The Detroit Free Press Gnde-
pendent believes that the address
| contains not the slightest hint of an
intention on the part of the party
now in power in America to join the
league of nations or any 9TH
er national organization of a sub
stantially similar character.
80 ends the league, so far as con-
Germs America. with the covenant and
all their dreams and visions" pro-
claims the New York Herald Cinde-
pendent. for with this utterance Of
the new executive the last glimmer
ing ember of hopes of those who have
yearned somehow to juggle this coun-
try into the league of nationss dies"
But. on the other hand, the Indian
apois Star dndependent republican,,
Harding says, nor in his attitude.
that should make it difficult for us to
get together with nations anxious to
be in agreement with US" and he has
left the way open to take up negotia-
tions where they were dropped The
finds. in the essential principles of
our national life" as stated by Presi-
dent Harding. abundant room for
any course that, while maintaining
our sovereignty unimpaired. may as
sociate us with other nations in the
development of higher international
cause"
From the standpoint of the Bos-
ton Globe independently "the voice
throughout is the voice of an Ameri.
can business administration" while
to the Springfield Republican (inde-
Mid -Victoria n a n q