The Washington herald., 1921-12-08

inclusive scope as national affairs To the
man of the street free from partisan prejudces
and so the best Judge. it. will leave very salts
factory and gratifying impression. 1t reads as the
judgment of man blessed with abundant common
sense, peculiarly tolerant, free from any marked
prejudices and with that impartial balance which
is natural to the thorough American who is of
all classes and class.
1t is very quotabIe document, its discus
sons of each question being plainly stated making
clear cut issues and quite unmstakable statements
But If is not contentious, censorious or critical;
quite the contrary it is emnently fair in its tone
and method giving due credit others; seeking
party harmony and team work. Because OF the
armament conference and the many reports as to
new foreign relationships which may come from
it. the parts of the message relating to foreign
affairs are apt to be most closely analysed Ger
tainly they not narrow, and they indicate a
growth in grasp and broadening of view, which
may be a quite inevitable consequence of response
bity and having to look from the inside, out,
as well as from the outside, in Such statements
as the following, have little significance:
Our tasks would be less difficult if we
had only ourselves to consider, but so much
of the world involved, the dlsordered
conditions are so we-nigh universal, even
among nations not engaged in actual warfare,
that permanent readjustments can be ct
relationship to world affairs in finance and
trade Indeed should be unworthy OF our
best traditions if we were unmindtul OF social,
moral and political conditions which are not
OF direct concern to us, but which do appeal
to the human sympathes and the very be-
coming interest OF a people olest with our
national good fortune.
They 1.-THE powers Immediately concerncd)
, must themselves turn to the heroic remedies
for the menacng conditions under which they
are struggling, then can help, and we mean
III ". hill do lNEhl hnTa
there is compensation in the CONSCIOUSNESS OF
assisting, selhshly because the commerce and
international exchanges in trade, which marked
r our high tide Of fortunate advancement, are
81 possible only when the nations of all continents
are restored to stable order and normal re-
lationship.
A" There will be great interest in that portion
of the message referring to merchant marine and
promising a distinctly stated program for its pro-
motion in the near future. This can hardly be
other than some form OF a subsidy so that it
would seem the war time white elephant may be
about to force this policy for its support which
had been persistently rejected as a for it's
gradual development and logical growth AS the
President says, denouncing all commercial treaties
to put into effect discriminating tariffs, is i'm
possible while some form of subsidy is used by
every other country that pretends to be a sea
carrier.
OF kindred interest and good is the
plea for a flexible tariff act. Protective tariffs
we must have They essential to
the maintenance of American wage scales Ameri-
can plane of living and the home markets, as
against flooding by goods based in price on
almost valueless money and extreme exchange
fluctuations. The President recommends that au-
thorty be given him to permit the Tariff Com
mission to revise specific schedules from time
to time and adjust them to changed monetary
IL H.
constant state of fux in foreign countries. 1t
would seem that this would have to be granted
1t is self-evident that any tariff schedule, based
on present conditions may six months, or less,
OF more, from either act as an import pro-
hibition, to the contrary, flood this market.
The antics of the German market enough
to point the moral. OF course, action would
not be by the commission, but by the Presi-
dent on the commissions findings.
The portion relating to agriculture will be
generally commended. No one can we'll deny
the economic soundness of the proposition that
the farmer should have larger share Of the
price of his products to the consumer. The spread
between the farm price and retail price is entirely
too wide, and unnecessarily Mr. Gompers
has already jumped with hob-nailed boots on the
section relating to the relations of employers
and employees Capital and labor has become
misnomer for economic and social relations
in this country, since, the President points
out, so many employees capitalists and so
many capitalists employees. The line between
capital and labor has become indstinguishable for
most of its distance
1t is probable too, that Mr.. Gompers will
find he was more scared than hurt when he reads
that part OF the message carefully The
Danbury hat is to be followed by a
suit of the clothing workers against their en-
ployers for violation OF labor contract. Rights
and liabilities being fixed as between employer
and employee and the public is getting mighty
sick of being the perpetual goat. The President
cverasngly right that "in an industrial society
such as ours the strike the lockout and the