The New York herald., 1921-04-16

dangerous tasks. II is based on the
Root conviction that the main duty
OF the Administration is 10 rescue as
much as possible OF the American
rights and opportunities that we're
thrown away BY the Wilson Admins
tration and neglect no method or means
or enhancing American prestige. OF pro
tecting such trade opportunities az ai-
ready exist and OF opening up new
roads OF trade.
The discomfited propagandists for the
League Of Nations are already refer
ring 10 the President and Mr. Hughes
as apostles 81 gross materialsm. a
revival IN new form or the dollar
diplomacy gibe flung at AIR Knox
when he was Secretary of State. Sneers
and sarcasms are in circulation about
the shameful abandonment Of ideals"
and so on. but such criticisms, il can
be authoritatiyely stated will not move
the President and the Secretary or
State from proceeding with policies
which touch the comfort and happi-
ness Of every man. woman and child
IN the United States" as a very noted
man took occasion TO phrase IL to-day.
Their conviction is that ideals cannot
get very far without a large degree
Of material prosperity They are pro-
ceeding In the theory that a large de-
gree OF material prosperity is unattain-
able unless the Allies and the rest of
the world recognize and abide by all
American rights And with this goes
their belief that no real world comfy,
no smoothly functioning world associa-
ton Is possible until such recognition
Is obtained and all hands agree 10 such
fair dealing as viii let the human pro-
cession move onward again. TO use the
Presidents own phrase.
Their basic policy, America first"
the reassertion and the firm maintenance
Of American privileges, is already pro-
ducng as complete reversal Of the at
ttude Of the Wilson Administration as
cne can imagine. The revelation Of this
truth is one OF the most striking de-
velopments Of the first few weeks OF the
Harding regime.
There Is ample authority for the state
meut tina, this Government knows what
it wants and is going after every de-
sirable thing that can be had in justice.
While these wants are not matters Of
acreage, OF territory or even of favored
position. they are. equally important, for
they touch upon the liberty that must
be accorded by the Allies and the rest
of the world ID American business enter
prise and the American disposition to
expand its trade.
The Harding Administration. il can
be asserted positively. will not stand
idly by In passive liberation of the
closing of whole great regions to Ameri-
can trade or of the segregation OF any
territorial prize of the war to the benefit
Of any one nation or any group of
nations.
The Administration takes the un-
alterable stand that Americans have as
much right In the economic fruits Of
victory as the British have or as the
French or Italians or Japanese have.
These economic rights. whose rccogai-
tion is now demanded by the United
states, are the things that touch the
comfort and happiness of every man.
woman and child in the United States"
There is ground for stating that this
Government, did it care to do 50, and
We're ii in accordance with American
principle to do so, feels that it could
properly assert a claim TO onc-ffth Of
the territorial spoils that fell TO the
Allies as result of the war with the
Central Powers. Not single acre. of
course, has been claimed by the United
States
AS a corollary proposal, it was made
plain to-day, the United States has a
solid right to object to such allotments
and such division of the conquered ter
ritory as seem clearly to prejudice