Evening star., 1921-10-24
Editorial Digest
To. Follow or to Lead2


Two pretty sharply defined points
Of view are developing over whether
the President should guide or follow
popular sentiment in the matter of
the position the United States is to
take on armaments in the coming
conference. Press discussion has been
stimulated by the published corre-
spondence between President Hard
ing and Mrs. Ella L. Fried of Brook
lyn, writing for the "citizens' dis
armament committee" The President
| would be beyond hope of realization"
and the New York Globe undepend-
ent concludes that the popularity
of disarmament" is embarrassing the
administration. and while it is true
that the executive policy is "en-
| titled to support still ito suppress
the dominant public sentiment in ia
vor of g real limitation" as the pres
ent tendency seems designed to do.
would be poor way of supporting
| the President or of serving the coun-
try"
Mr.. Harding has rendered a dis
| tinct service to the country" in the
opinion of the Pittsburgh Sun (demo-
guided agitation for universal dis
armament" and the frank express
sion of what is practical to be
achieved" seems to the Richmond
Times Dispatch (democratic) to bear
the earmarks of such absolute SIN
cism as to his motives on the part OF
well wishers for the conference
success" That success Is endangered
by two classes of people. the New
York Tribune trepublican) thinks; On one
is the "overcynical,' the other Is "the
lnillenarians, who dream dreams and
see visions and these. especially
active now, are a great pest" By
insisting on what is practical and
possible as against what Is visionary nary,
York Herald independently. the Presi-
dent has given a reply to the "un-
practical dreamers" which the Nor
folk Ledger Dispatch dndependent
thinks is s.ear amiabie ann doH.
sentimentalists," @ the New York Times
independent democratic) says, must
reckon on the sober truth" that
there can be no disarming q MIN 81 simp1s dns
by wishing to disarm' AND ana vii, III one 2he
means mean to It." Toward that end there
must be first what the Detroit Free
press independently calls "a founoa-
ton for International good Tuer
sanding and frisndship; RE weaI wTeaIized" a
ha1;aNe. tne .it will be a long step for
ward" for while .'idealism may pc
disappointed, practical ,iits, statesmamiStn',, i,
will have won cohcIete ~ q
pres;dent Harding is travelling tne
.naS tn universal disarmament. the
portland Oregonian Indepehdent re-
rvhIican) declares. but there are g
many halting places along 'ha' io"'
|and: ,o,ference he
o,n load the nations to the nrst o. .
tbasa much will have been gaineo
and the next days josrney Will oe
easier and each succeeding gay
iomrney still easier. If we recognize
that the whole journey cann9r DC
made in one day we are less i"e'
to break down on the way.
pnt the Presidents hope OF rea-
sonahle limitation" expressed IN the :,
Latter. means anything or notnlns.
tho Chattanooga News (democratlc,D, !,
saws. "as you choose to interpret II.
To the Louisville Courier-Jou
(democratic), the Presidents positi3nn u
indicates not that he fears that the
nnuntrv "expects too much" but that
a. "deaires too much" From a SINH
lar point of view, the Arkansas Dem
ocrat (democratic) outlines the
change in objectives that has sue
caeded the call for the confer
ence. Talk of a "disarmament con
ference was diIuiHE loo
therefore became conference on
limitation of ornaments" But even we
that is a little too high. The
homes of the world are rising too
strongly. This limitation Of arma-
ments' must be aaalifie,dim d., Now Now we We
have "a reasonable limitation OF
Il that ata in This policy of expediency. of
practicality, of politica! safety hrs; first'
which is exemplified in the Presi-
dents letter" is to be found the
secret of the administrations atti-
tude toward the conference"
After all. says the Springfield Re
pubIican independenth. the CONFER
ence can have no driving power ex-
cent what it draws from the popular
will" and the delegates must be
made to feel that the public Is In
sistent and will not brook failure.
Governments must carry into
effect. in the last resort. the will of
the people who created them. Those
who do not exnect too much OF poll
ticians and diplomats are apt to get
too LITTLE"