The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-05-28
May FORCE
HARDING IN
D|SARmlNC
Highly Organized Movement
Among Churches To Be-
come Demand on President
Tariff Cannot Cut Taxes.
LEADERS HESITATINC
RY MARK SULLIVAN

estimate of the political atmosphere
during the six weeks that Congress
has been in session shows the most
CONSPICUOUS factor to be a state of
hesitation and lack of confidence as
to program. This state is common but
to the leaders of congress and to the
rank and file, and is as common to
the Democrats as to the Republicans.
For this there are several reasons
For one. the Republicans, as one OF
their leaders expressed it, are faced
with the necessity of fulfilling their
campaign promise to solve the unsolv.
able" When any party or any leader
is called upon to fulfill promise that
he can't fulfill the usual result is hesi-
tation and indecision.
The most conspicuous Of the several
promises the Republicans made was to
reduce taxation. The promise was
meant in good faith. Those who made
it took it for granted they could do
1t. In some ways they have set about
doing it, The cabinet devotes more
time to measures of economy than to
any other one subject.
Program Under Way
The program for a REORGANIZATION Of
the government. which ultimately will
lead to greater economy and ef1cien-
Cy, is we'll under way. But all that the
cabinet can do in the way of salvag-
ing war material and adopting policies
Of not paying rent for so many build.
ings, and all the other cutting up Of
useless expense. is merely minor
compared to the big items in which the
only really noticeable economies can
possible be effected.
The tariff revision proposed by the
Republican leaders cannot seriously
reduce the burden of taxation in the
near future. Neither. probably, could
any other tariff revision affect tax
alton until some other things are ac-
complished first. These other things
are in field which Congress cannot
control. They are in the field of inter
national relations, and that is a field
IN which, having marched down the
hill from where Wilson took us rather
too suddenly, we are now considering
whether to turn around and march at
least part of the way up again.
Interest Lacking.
1t is this self consciousness about
the futility of the tariff as an immed-
taxation that accounts for the lack Of
lieve the tariff would really meet
their promise of reducing other forms
Of taxation, they would 60 into it with
a hearty spirit.
AS matter of fact, not only is the
big tariff bill far behind its schedule,
but even the unimportant emergency
tariff. which was promises to be a law
within two weeks from the beginning
Of the session. was still hanging fire in
the sixth week of the session.
The truth, is. the tariff leaves every
body cold 1t is this ureasiness about
the party promise to reduce taxes that
has brought out the most vital speech
es made in either House during the
present session. 1t is this uneasineSs
about the cost of government that
caused the lower house to try to re-
duce army appropriations to a basis
Cf 10000 men, basis which. even in
The judgment of strong believers in
disarmament. is rather low.
May Force Harding.
The question of disarmament is the
one that contains for President Hard
ing the greatest danger of having his
hand forced. He wants to go patiently
and slowly about the whole complex
business of international relations
and until he makes satisfactory pro-
eress in other respects he does not
want, so to speak, to throw away his
run. But he is faced by an increas
ing indisposition on the part Of con-
gress and the people to supply him
with ammunition for his gun.
Within the next few weeks there
will develop highly organized move
ment among the churches. which ul-
timately will express itself in a de-
mand on President Harding that he
call an international conference for
disarmament. Politically, it will be
most unfortunate for President Hard
ing if circumstances should make him
seem TO resist this demand.
New Crisis Coming.
Even if he should get past the crisis
of the next few weeks, he will face
worse one next December. In De-
cember. another naval appropriation
bill will come up. 1t will be handled
by the same congress that already is
restless about the present appropria.
tion bill. When the new naval appro-
priation bill comes up. congress will
be within three or four months of the
primaries which will re-elect or reject
them.
Under these circumstances the dan
ger is that there will be forced upon
President Harding and upon the coun
try a disarmament by ourselves alone
without reference to what other ma
lions do.
President Harding has the alterna-
tive OF proceeding to disarmament by
conference with other nations in the
near future or disarmament without
regard to other nations next Decem-
ber.
Copyright, 1921, by the New York
Evening Post Inc.)
r. NJ ~ II