, 1921-12-15

THE first regular session of the Six
L ty-seventh congress opened on De
cember 8, and President Harding
promptly submitted the budget for the
fiscal year 1923-the first national
budget in our history. 1t shows the
expenditures of the government dur
Ing . Will be more han half a bill
lion dollars less than during 1922, and
two billions less than during 1921. The
budget contemplates a total expendi-
ture of $4,0S1, 992, 1893.
On Tuesday the President read his
message to congress In the presence
of nearly TIE entire membership of the
arms conference and many other dis
tinguished persons. 1t was rather
more startling In parts than people
had been led to expect from Mr.. Har-
ding and some of his recommendations
already are the subjects of warm con-
troversy. For instance, he advises the
establishment of tribunals for the ad-
Indication of disputes between capital
and labor and to prevent the strike,
the lockout and the boycott. OF course
this brought instant response from
Samuel Gompers. who characterized
the recommendation as a "reversion
to conditions of 400 years ago." and
asserted that the experience of the
Australasian countries and Kansas
with such our proved them to be
utter failures.
In a plea for closer party unity and
less division in congress "geograph-
ically or according to pursuits" Mr..
Harding was supposed to be hitting at
the members of the agriculture bloc;
but he pleased them by recommending
the adoption of a cooperative market
Ing system similar to that of Russia.
The President made 1t clear that he.
like President Wilson, would refus
to carry out the injunction of the
Jones act to abrogate commercial
treaties In order to help develop our
merchant marine, and said that soon
he would submit n better plan which
would contemplate no greater draft
on the public treasury.
CONSIDERABLE progress Is being
made in the negotiations TO pro-
vide a moratorium for the German rep
arations debts, and cablegrams from
Paris say the allied governments will
soon announce that 1t Is impossible for
Germany to carry out the schedule OF
payments. NJ. Loucheur, French min
lister OF the liberated regions, made a
hurried trip TO London to confer with
Sir Robert Horne INT Doctor Rattle
a after Premier BRAND had consult
ed the British. Italian and Japanese
ambassadors Berlin failed to negoti-
ate loans In New York, London and
Amsterdam, and the French are begin
ming to fear that unless changes In the
schedule are made before the next in
stallments are due on January Is. Ger
many will default.
TN LATIN America most of those
L who rise by revolution fall by rev.
olution. This has been demonstrated
TO Carlos Herrera OF Guatemala. Some
nineteen months ago he headed a re-
volt and became president. Last week
another bunch of revolutlonists got
into action and Herrera was seized
n forced to resign. The G%uatemalan
congress was called together to insti-
ute a provisional government.
A MOTHER government that was
"A o%verthrown last week, through
this time at the polls. was that OF
Premier Meighan OF Canada. The Lib
erals, headed by w. l.. Mackenzie
King, won a sweeping victory over the
Conservatives and obtained n working
majority In parliament without the
necessity of coalition with the Pro-
g~ressive or farmers party. Melghan
himself and several cabinet ministers
were defeated for reelection.
DENOUNCING the shop representa-
~ tion plan and refusing the cut In
wages. the Amalgamated Meat Cut
ters' and Butcher Workmen's union
ven on strike last week IN the pack
ing plnnts of the country. The first
day saw some mob violence In several
cities, and on Wednesday the rioting
In Chicago reached serious rop
tlons. The police and The strikers had
many battles and a number on both
sides were badly injured. A temporary
Injunction against picketlng was OBJ.
timed by the packers, but that did
not wholly stop the disorders.
The United States Supreme court
handed down an opinion holding TINT
picketlng Is illegal, but also upholding
fIp right ~ labor orUapf..tf.... A.