Evening star., 1921-05-07
Editorial Digest
by the Eternal" "

oy the GteTn6l.
President Hardings ringing words
to the Atlantic fleet, echoed by the
House vote on the naval appropria-
| tion bill, received enthusiastic ap-
plause from the majority of the
| American press. The favorable COM
| ment which came from democratic as
we'll as republican papers is inter-
esting in the light of the Presi-
! dents more recent action in checking
the Borah disarmament amendment.
There are q few writer's who feel that
there was too much of a suggestion
OF the ratting saber and too little of
the will to peace" in the Presidents
| remarks.
The comment of the New York
said to represent the attitude of those
critics who regretted that Mr.. Hard
ing spoiled a great opportunity"
when he yielded to the temptation to
indulge in little fiorid rhetoric" The
Post warns to the Presidents decla-
not want anything on earth not right
fully our own" but feels that he
! Cancelled the good effect Of this as
sertion by adding "but we do want
| that which is rightfully our own, and
by the eternal we mean to have that"
The y Memphis Commercial-Appeal
(democratic) feels. too. that even the
expressed wish that the Navy might
never again fire a gun in war" is
rather pointless' since it lacks the
merit Of policy which would prevent
war;
The Des Moines Register Gndepend-
ent republican, considers the speech
as a whole "needlessly emphatic"
This by the eternal talk is bound to
crate harshly on the ears of peoples
Ivryt 4, fro Jn6
who are now coming to realize the
awfulness of the disaster that has
overtaken them. 1t would seem to be
the part of wisdom to be conciliatory
and encouraging to everybody. why
should America be walking about at
der?"
The Dallas Journal independent
democratic) thinks Mr.. Harding has
"double-track mind" and classics
a eS.ng puneh as seh spsneh w we
enough" but which has "a peace
track that is not too indefinite. In
deed. the Sioux City Tribune Gnde-
pendent) believes. his voice will not
be heard because of the rafting of
the United States the most powerful!
feet any country has ever possess ed.
The. Newark News Gndependent)
has no quarrel with the Presidents
QcmAnQS, DuC dShS- WHY lHIo pohASy
should not be applied broadly and
suggests that the "machinery' for
getting "for ourselves and all others
what is righteously our own is al
ready set up" in the league OF ma
tions "for Mr.. Harding to use' II ne
WILL"
Comment of the above nature is
limited. however, and for the most
part the newspapers echo the praise
voiced by the Denver Times Gnde-
pendent?. when it says that Pr. Preslaent ;e NJ!
state "a policy of normal self-asser-
tion for which Americans have long
sighed" and will inspirit not only
the Navy Of the United States. but
every other loyal citizen in the big
Times (independentd democratic) agrees
that ''the man in the street" approved
'the spirit Of the discourse and the
Knoxville Journal and Tribune Gre
sion OF the loftiest Americanism."
There was no feeling of boastful-
ness" in the address, the Canton News
(democratic) declares. but AN ex-
preston Of the principles which nave
dominated the American republic
It. is IAN amplification of the warning
the colonials placed on their battle
dags, don't tread on me-" the De-
troit Free Press independently sees
in the utterancs "a ,a.np.;at pieags t;en against
Hearty support for Mr.. Harding
comes from the Memphis News-Scimi-
tar (independent), which declares
! that he spoke like a general or an
admiral" The Presidsnts Is iansuaEe an uaiy
it Of Americanism that always comes
| to the surface in the test. 1t had
nothing Of the pacificism that has
cursed the world and made peace-ioV-
ing peoples. victims OF unscrupuious
and designing nations. 1t was 70
bust. strong and virile. 1t was the
| word needed to be spoken. and it was
spoken in the right place.
Red -blooded Americans" will give
thGr hearty approval to the speech. sa,
!democratic) believes. and the Boston
Transcript independent republican,
regards it as another step forward"
in our naval policy. In the opinion or
the Philadelphia Bulletin (independ-
ent republican,. it exemplifies "prac.
tical pacifism," which would keep at
| the highest point of efficiency pow
! erful navy. not for aggression, but to
protect the nation against aggres-
sdnss p9lsy in in WI %hifh nted sfatss
are definitely aligned" with the Presi-
dent. Probably mo better expression
Of the spirit of America" has been
made, asserts the Albany Knicker-
1 DOCker freSS (TepuDlCdHJ.
The altruism behind the Presidents
attitude is remarked upon by the
Kansas City Journal (republican).
which calls his words "a message Of
peaceful intention, Of high-minded
consciousness. of an invincible deter
] mfna ton of Americas part to deal
justly with other nations" and. it
concludes. ability to parry blows is
the httest corollary to the unalterable
purpose Of the peaceful"
The Roosevelt punch" in the speech
lis welcomed by the Seattle Times
(independent, which finds that wig
orous by the eternal" not only "com-
forting," but, it hopes. "significant."
With Our Unknown Soldier.
! Little attention has as yet been
| given to the announcement that Mar
shall Foch is intending to come to
| the United States with the body of
our unknown soldier, but the occa-
sion is likely to prove the most NOV
ing and dramatic of this period fol-