Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-07-01
THE BoRAH RESOLUTION is
A CONGRESSIONAL GESTURE
Must Be Considered in Relation to
the Harding. Hughes Program

DRESlDENT HARDING has seen fit to
L combine with his Endorsement of the gen.
cral principle of disarmament a somewhat
significant definition of the functions and
activities of the. executive branch Of the
Government.
81 think it has bSon pretty we'll under.
stood, declared the President in his letter
To Representative Mondcll. that the admin.
istrativC branch Of tn" Government has al
ready been seeking information with regard
to the attitude Of foreign nations on the
general subject of disarmament. These in.
QuiriCs and negotiations will bc continued
and the time and manner in which they may
be formally presented to foreign Governments
can only be developed after fuller develop
ment of the inquiries initiated"
Here is decidedly more than a hint that
the State Department is alive to its rcspon-
Sibilitics aud an intimation that neither
the President nor Mr.. Hughes intends +"
tolCrat" the substitution uf snowy methods
for thoS" carefully adjusted to the dclrut"
and intricate necessities Of the international
problem.
The overwhelming vote by which tho
Borah amendment to the Naval Appropria
tion Bill, urging the President to invite
Great Britain and Japan to participate with
the | ntcd States in a disarmament confer
CncP. was passed in the House is open to
several interpretations.
There can bc no question that the scnti.
mcnt Of the Nation is cmphatically in favor
Of the reduction Of nrmamcnts. not only by
ourselves, but by the other leading Govern
mCntS Of the world.
Congress has cSpouscd n popular cause
There is Solacc IN this fact. since in the end
public sentiment is almost certain to be
translated into dords.
Tho obstacles in the way of prompt and
conclusive performance are and have been
ever since the League of Nations covenant
was brought to this country by Mr. Wilson,
twofold
Honest differences of opinion CONCERNING
methods have boon one clog upon progress.
The other Obstacle is politics.
The nhucuc" of the latter did not cease
with the change Of administration. Con
CrrSS is still eager to pose as the director Of
our diplomatic dcstincs. Th" expert and
authoritative processes of the State Depart
mcnt arc often undramatic. As the de-"
mcanor Of Congress is usually otherwise.
sympathy for the constitutional activities of
the EXccutivc in foreign affairs is seldom
whole hearted in tho National Legislature.
Mr.. Harding already has been proved to
be an official Of temperate SCnSibiltiNs. II
the object of Congress really has been to
force his hand hc has tactfully RETAINED from
publicly admitting such possibility. Will"
at tn" same time intimating that specific
recommendations interest him less than
declarations of broad principles.
And this probably means that he will
runStruc the Borah amendment as rcspon .
siblc Chief Magistrate should. The measure
| is a request. not a mandate. 1t is not likely
| that the call for n conference. praisPworthy
| in the abstract though it NAV be, will b.
! allowed to ntCrfcr" with the processes of
reconstruction set in motion by Secretary
| Hughes.
At tn" present moment tho Borah amend
| mcnt may be useful to Old World nations,
! themselves powerfully armed. who have been
| disturbed by American armament prcpara
| tions. Its sautary moral effect may he
| granted without accepting tho idea that il
| Immediately ovCrturnS the program in course
| Of orderly development by the President and
| his