Evening star., 1921-04-14
Editorial Digest
Secretary Hughes on Mandates.

Praise for the Hughes note on man
newspapers friendly to the former ad-
ministration. with an expression OF
satisfaction that Mr.. Harding's Sec
rotary Of State finds it impossible to
deviate from the position" taken by
President Wilson. A few ardent sup
porters of the league and the cove
policy which repudiates the work at
Versailles must be weak. il not utterly
inconsistent But for the most part,
American editors believe that. league
or no league. America has the right
to demand the privileges for which
forcefully" contends.
From the south the Houston Chron-
| icle independently declares that "the
| position taken by Secretary Hughes
| able: the Richmond Times-Dispatch
(democratic) finds that 'it challenges
| American admiration for its firm
ness; and the Florida Times-Union
(democratic) considers it an "un-
shakable stand" Rejecting the SEN
| timent Of it's followers on the Pacific
| coast, the Seattle Times (independent)
looks upon the note as stated with
traditiona! American fairness and
bluntness."
AL lAc lSAl O1 lHc COIU1LuHIC6IlOn
the Minneapolis Tribune (republican)
sees "a dignity. a firmness and a
logic" that "augurs we'll for Secre-
tary Hughes and the administration
in dealing with the international
figaena,S legaeies Of the s; war: and the Journal
city declares that "the idealism that
sought to commit US to an inter-
| nationalisn sustained by force" has
! now been changed to "an idealism
informed by. a definitely American
practicalism."
Presented in " a logical and concise
manner" the Hughes note, in the
opinion of the Sioux City Journal
! (republican), will be found "impreg-
nable" by the powers. Even the
Non-Partisan League organ, admits
that: IF the United States can sue
! cessfully maintain that in the dis
| position of the little island COT Yap)
| the interest of the world is para
mount to the selfish interest of one
| will have been won."
To the Chicago Tribune (independ-
ent republican, the consummation OF
| policy set forth in this communica-
ton is evidence that president
Harding and Secretary Hughes have
| in one month Of official life led us
| out of a fog. which has impeded our
| progress for nearly two years" The
Pittsburgh Chronicle-Telegraph IRE
publican) credits Mr.. Hughes with
| idea that our absence from the
league councils means waving Of
rights. and the Wheeling Intelli-
gencer (republican), the Buffalo
Commercial independently and the
| Brooklyn Eagle Gndependent demo-
cratic) heartily concur. This point
the Pittsburgh Leader progressive
| republicanl takes up in more detail:
League Of nations or no league of
| nations. the United States has cor
tain privileges which cannot be a6-
| tion on our part. If European states
| men were under a different impress
sion they have been set right by
Secretary Hughes"
More than merely ITO reanirm the
Policy gofv Of MT II; Wilson Yan the in 1sSafa Tots to
News independently believes that
Secretary Hughes has asserted q
truth as to the origin Of all rights
and interests in matters growing
out of the wars termination" and
rights" in these matters, regardless
Of what agreements the other DOW
ers have made without her. Thus
the Providence Journal independently
cuts one of the entanglements Of the
covenant and the treaty" and the
Manchester Union independent re-
publican) feels that more down
right working for safeguarding ma
tions large and smalr' is now being
was done in all those drab, even
if picturesque. months when the
sham mandate scheme" was being
formulated at the peace conference.
cratic) ventures. must be very graft
flying to the former President and his
associates" and adds it's praise to
Mr.. Hughes ''cold logic" and "clear-
ness" The schenectady Gazette
that the Harding cabinet SO far has
followed step by step. 80 far a. It
dares. the foreign path marked out
by Woodrow Wilson" A path. as
serts the Nashville Tennessean On.
Secretary Hughes finds it impossf
BILE to deviate" and one. as the In
dianapolis Star dndependentl puts
it. that had been laid out by his
There is minority opinion: of
course. which turns its thumbs down
on the note. Perhaps the New York
World (democratic) is the most en-
phatic. To this paper the Harding
administration has merely offered IAN
unansw erable argument in favor Of
the ratification" of the league and
the covenant. and nothing could bet
ter illustrate the folly" OF the Sen
ate's rejection of that document "and
the folly Of the Harding administra.
tion's policy, than the Hughes note"
The Newark News independently COM
plains that the Secretary argues as
il he were attacking the decisions of
q court of law"
The Chicago Post independently de-
clares that when the SecretaFy's ar
gument deals with the general sub
ject of our rights acquired by VIC
tory, as distinct from any rights laid
down by a treaty Of peace, we be-
lieve he is on uncertain ground. The
United States has failed in two years
to acquiesce in the general settlement
or to make any Of her own. 1t would
seem, therefore. as II her rights. ex-
cept as specifically reserved, no long
er included the privileges of inter-
fering with the peace terms labo-
riously worked out by the other vic
tors and agreed to by the enemy
Neglected Roads.
The good practical sense which
happily seems to be marked char
acteristic of Mr. Harding's mind is
cb r ic lato IN tfaS n NNArSH