New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-04-13
How New York
Morning Papers
View Message
Herald Rejoices at Blow
to League and The World
Says Borah Might as
Well Have Written 1t
Unite on Economy Part
Times Says Harding Fears
to Offend Bitter-Enders,
So Steers Middle Course

The reaction of the Neac York.
morning newspapers to President
H0rd'nn's first message to Congress
is epitomixed IN the foiloWing ub-
stracts from their editorial comment
today:
The Herald
Taken by and all, President Harding
long message to Congress is good. In
respect to several cardinal issues, ma
tional and international, it is particu-
larly good, notably his complete rejec-
ton of the League of Nations, his de-
mand for national economy and rational
taxation, his treatment of the railroad
and shipping questions and his com
mitmcnt to early treaties with the Cen
trail powers.
When the President says that the
national expenditures are unbearable it
ought to mean that if Congress does
not cut out all squander and waste
that can be reached by the appropriate
ing power his veto knife will. When
he says that the Treasury should be
kept in funds with tax schedules that
will provide the needed revenue with
out strangling industry and harassing
business it ought to mean that the
Congress leaders who have discussed
these serious matters with him are pre-
pared to hasten the legislation he urges.
When the President says that rail
road operating costs must come down
so that the transportation rates can
come down and the country's products
move to market it ought to mean that
this very thing soon will happen, for
1,OJn ttn,, lice
United States Railroad Labor Bureau
certainly under his influence and guild
ancc if not under his absolute power
And when he says that American ship
ping should compete in maritime com
MERGE the world over, if to achieve this
end it becomes necessary to change our
straitjacket laws and other restrictions
against live and successful merchant
marine it ought to mean that Congress
is going to back him up with the repeal
or amendment OF the notorious La Fol
in existence American overseas shipping
can be bound only for the junk heap
The World
Mr.. Harding in his address to Con-
gress yesterday filled in the blank
check that the American people gave
to the Republican party November 2,
1920.
The country now knows what it
voted for last fall and what the cleo
ton meant. In foreign affairs the
Harding majority was an unqualified
victory for the irreconcilable elements
in the United States Senate that de-
manded the outright rejection of the
covenant of the League of Nations. In
domestic affairs it was an equally un-
qualified victory for the extreme pro-
tectionists and the Old Guard.
The attention Of the world will nat
ulally center on Mr.. Harding's defini-
tion of his foreign policy, although
he himself seems to regard his foreign
policy as a minor matter Mr.. Har-
ding's foreign program is the program
of the bitter-enders. Everything he
says in regard to it could as well have
been written by Senator Hiram John
son and delivered by Senator Borah
or Senator Reed.
There is one section of Mr.. Har-
ding's address, however, concerning
which there will be little adverse
criticism. The country will heartily
approve his plea for the revision of
taxation, although he fails to offer
any substitute for the excess profits
tax that is to be repealed or for the
deficit in the income and corporation
taxes. 1t will receive with still greater
cordlallty his demand for rigid