The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-05

altack. But IT war BnOulu come, MT. Harding said, he hoped it would be a war of universal service, with not one penny of profit to mar the divine sac- rifice of life.
 IDEALISM OF WAR
 Mr. Harding dwelt for quite little while in the brief space of his address upon the idealism of war as he saw 1t for America in. the future, and while the remarks were somewhat extran- eous 1t seemed he had in his mind the drawing of a contrast with some of the conditions of the recent conflict. The latter part of the inaugural address almost was a sermon and seemed to reflect some of the religious impressions of his recent experiences in Masonry.
 Mir. Harding indicated that he ap- preached the presidency with a rever- ence akin to awe. He gave utterance from time to time of the passionate right thing, and, inviting cooperation. he called upon the American people to do their part in upholding the hands of the government
 Mir. Harding prayed for Gods help in dealing with the great tasks that confront him. He prayed for an ideal America, for people living happily together in peace and contentment He prayed that the Old World might fol- low the example and seek the ideals of America, and this he pictured as a happy solution of the worlds diff culties. The American people could do no better by the world than to con- tinue to set the example of the past.
 SENSATIONS ABSENT
 There was no surprise in the in augural address. and. as MT. Harding himself had predicted. there was no sensation. The new President has no panacea to offer. and he begged the public to expect no miracle. Back to normalcy' is his formula, and he be- lieves that in going back to old cus- best road back to contentment The new order that the new President would recognize would be one in which men would strive to better under standings with each other and nations would promote the counties so essential to peace.
 A word for administrative efficiency, for frightened tax burdens for sound commercial practices for adequate credit facilities, for sympathetic con- cern for all agricultural problems, for the omission of unnecessary interfer ence of government with business, for an end to governments experiments in business and for more efficient busi- ness in government and MT. Harding passed along to the tariff with a guarded note of warning that the American standard of living can only be maintained by the levying of proper duties on imported goods.
 HIS BIBLICAL TEST
 At the beginning of what had been heralded as an intensely practical ad-
 
 largely in ideals and frankly said there was no short cut to the making of these ideals into glad realities. Mir. Harding said he would be glad to ec- claim the era of the golden rule and crown it with the autocracy of serv- ice, for service, he added, Is the su- preme commitment of life.
 President Harding warned the peo- pie against expecting too much of gov ernment while at the same time doing too little for government. The text of tho inaugural address was Micah, sixth chapter. eighth verse, which reads:
 He hath showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord re- quire of thee but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God"
 It was upon this passage in tho old Bible which George Washington used that Warren Gamaliel Harding placed his hand as the chief Justice of the supreme court administered to him the oath of office. The text was chosen by Mir. Harding a long time ago. It seemed to him to fit the spirit of humility with which he approached the presidency. He expressed this humility again today.
 T invite cooperation" he said, land I accept my part with single-minded- ness of purpose and humility of spirit. imploAe the favor and guidance of God in Ais heaven. With these I am unafraid and confidently face the future"