Manchester Democrat., 1921-06-08
MIR. HARDINGs WILSON SPEECH.

MIR, HARDINGS WILSON SPEECH.
(From the New York World.)
Mr.. Harding made beautiful speech
at Arlington Cemetery yesterday--a
speech filled with noble sentiments,
a speech that gave expression to the
noblest ideals of the American people.
Rejecting all the sordid materialism
Of the Harvey Pilgrims dinner speech,
the President obviously took his in
spiration from Woodrow Wilson.
Much that he said might have been
said by Mr.. Wilson himself:
ACROSS the seas we sent our hosts
of liberty's sons commissioned to re-
dress the eternal scales.
'"To me no thought comes with
more inspiration than this: that now
our Memorial Day is become an In
ternational occasion; that 1t calls
upon the fortunate free of many
lands and countries to help in its
observance; and that equally to them
and to us it is reminder OF our
common troth to civilization, human
ity and everlasting justice.
Freedom is not to be crowded up
on those who will not have it; but
the privilege of adopting and having
and enjoying it--that privilege was
opened wide to the vanquished COM
munities which had sought to take
it from others. We do not yet know
certainly whether the defeated and
unwilling beneficiaries will be able
to grasp this boon. We cannot tell
whether they will pay the price re-
quired to maintain the freedom to
which the door has been opened.
We do know and we take pride that
our sons and brothers afforded them
the opportunity.
Eve cannot eyade if we would; for
mankind is fallen on times when
there is no hope for it if some COM
munities seek isolation while others
indulge unrestrained ambition for
empire. Civilization must face disas-
ter if there shall be denial either OF
common responsibility or of essen
tial equality emong sovereign states
and persons.
"Only a few days ago / saw more
than 5000 fag-draped coffihs, ten
anted with their heroic dead. Theirs
was mute eloquence in protesting
war, theirs was the supreme appeal
for wars avoidance. The way to pre-
serve honor without material waste
and the costlier human sacrifice
would be the SURPRISING memorial
tribute We may not bestow it todaybut
we may fittingly resolve that the in
fluence and example of our America
shall point the way to such lofty
achievement.
"Our country has never failed to
measure up to the demands present
ed to it in behalf of humanity, and
it never will. When it ceases to
meet these drafts it will no longer
be our country; it will be, If that
time ever comes, the wretched and
decaying memorial Of another civili-
cation which has crumbled, of anoth-
or ambition for mans happiness
which has somehow gone awry."
These are winged words which
carry message from the very soul OF
the American people; yet it is fair to
ask what Mr. Harding as President
is doing to make them real. The
blemishes in the Arlington speech
are to be found in his attempt to re-
concile in some fashion or another
the deep idealism of his sentiments
with the record Of the United States
Senate in respect to the treaty and
the covenant, and such reconciliation
is impossible.
When the President says that 1--WE
may fittingly resolve that the influ-
ence and example of our America
shall point the way to world peace,
it is fair to remind him that Ameri-
can influence and example have al
ready pointed the, way to world
peace; that nearly fifty nations have
adopted the covenant of the League
and that the United States is absent
only because of the obstructive tao
tics of Senators of Mr.. Harding S
own party. There can be no substan-
tial progress toward the goal that
Mr.. Harding SO eloquently described
if the President is to talk like Wood
row Wilson and act like Henry Cabot
Lodge. Nothing can be achieved un-
less there is correlation between the
word and the deed
Mr.. Harding pictured yesterday
the kind of America in which all
champions of the League of Nations
believe. The World is, confident that
it is the true America, but thus far
the Harding Administration has re-
manned shackled to the Battalion OF
Death. 1t is not measuring up to the
demands presented to it. 1t has not
pointed the way to anything except