Evening star., 1921-04-13
The Presidents Foreign Policy.

The Presidents Foreign Policy.
President Harding has. in his i'm
pressive first message to Congress, de-
limited the position Of the adminlstra-
ton on the vital subject Of our lmme-
diate and future foreign policy with
sufficient definition to put an effective
quietus upon the report that the
United States intends to conclude
separate peace with Germany. The
circulation of that report. apparently
30 we'll authenticated. and today OBJ
yiously purposed to embarrass the
President in the making of decision
which was his alone. caused this and
other nations grave anxiety. Yet
throughout the period of its circula-
ton, while the President was unable
officially to disavow the purposes at
tributed to him, a firm conviction that
the new administration would never
lead the country into the unthinkable
course indicated was generally mani
tested The true policy Of the admin
istration, as affirmed yesterday, Will
be applauded and supported as fully
justifying the national faith in the
sensibility Of it's leaders to the popu-
lar will.
Briefly outlined that policy is as fol-
lows: To refuse definitely to enter
supersoverning league. To establish
q state of technical peace without fur
ther delay through declaratory reso-
luton by Congress to that effect, with
the qualifications essential to protect
all our rights. To engage under" the
treaty Of Versailles with such explicit
reservations as will secure our abso-
lutte freedom from inadvisable commit
ments and safeguard all our essential
interests. And, finally, to join an as
sociation of nations to prevent war,
preserve peace and promote civiliza-
ton.
The refusal of the United States to
enter the existing league Of nations
has been assured since last November.
Without entering into the arguments
for or against such a course, 1t may
be stated with confidence that the
majority have deliberately expressed"
their will on the subject as overwhelm-
ingly in favor Of such refusal. The
conviction that the ma jority likewise
favor entry into an association Of ma
tions to prevent war, preserve peace
and promote civilization is equally
sound. Whether such an association
Is to be established through the elm
ination Of the world governing, super
powerful" and other Objectionable fac
tors in the existing covenant by its
component members, a course to be
followed by our entrance. or by the
creation Of a separate and distinct So
ciety of nations under the leadership
Of the United States, is matter to be
determined. doubtless, as matters shape
themselves in the future.
The decision. to establish technical
peace through the passage Of decla-
ratory congressional resolution is un-
der the circumstances matter Of no
very considerable moment. For the
President made quite clear that the
passage of such a resolution is to be
for surface effect alone. and that ii Is
his purpose thereupon to proceed to
present treaty to the Senate for its
ratification. At best the peace reso-
luton will serve officially to recognize
q condition which unofficially already
exists. At worst it, as a more or less
AHoc.suo hut ho
necessity Of fastening the day when
the treaty which is to establish our
rights. interests, obligations and re-
sponsibilities resulting from our par
ticipation in the great war and our
interest in the forward progress Of
civilization shall be concluded.
That treaty, presumptuous spokes-
men for the President to the contrary
notwithstanding, is to be the treaty Of
Versailles, with such reservations and
notifications as the President and the
Senate shall deem necessary. The de-
termination Of exactly what those
reservations and notifications are to
be, the effecting Of ratification. are
tasks to be achieved as expeditiously
as possible. For, as the President yes
terday pointed out, "our rights in in
ternational relationship haveto be IS.
serted; they require establishment in
compacts of amity; our part in read
justment cannot be ignored. and must
be defined" A world too long in need
Of our presence and aid in the task of
readjustment and restoration awaits
with natural impatience the word that
we have actually taken up, with our
rights and privileges our share Of the
joint burden Of the nations. But, with
the message from President Harding
in its ears, the world with America
will await that word in the serene con-
sciousness that, holding steadfast
through a period surcharged with sub
tie dangers, the nation today proposes
to fulfill its every obligation in peace,
even as it fulfilled them in war.