Hickory daily record., 1922-12-12
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

Springfield Republican. Ii
| Mr.. Harding reaffirms the princi- II
lples of his foreign policy in way
Ito permit no inference that a radical +
change is contemplated. The policy
Of isolation is to be followed on the
assumption that II ,ople have de-
creed it. This T, 5 held TO be
consistent with for the ma
TONS moral obllgat.oals- or, as the
President expresses 1t, EVERY ohl1-
cation consonant With American
ideals and sanctioned under our form
of government" That is safe state
be interpreted exclusively by the pre-
sent administration.
The President happily treasures the
country as to the prospect Of the
maintenance Of peace in.the world, al
though ambassador Harvey's recent
utterances showed extreme apprehen-
Ision concerning Europe and the same |
can be said of Gen. Pershing's speech /
es. The chief fruits of the Washing |
ton conference are safeguarded, ac-
cording to the President, because the |
underlying policy OF limiting naVal
armament has the sanction OF the
while France and Italf may never
ratify the naval reduction ,treaty.
Great Britain, Japan and the United
States can be depended upon to carry
the treaty into effect. That this is
the official view in Washington is
most gratifying. The fourpoW
Pacific pact, however, could hardly
90 into effect without the concurrence
of France, one of. the signatorles,
and the French Parliament has not
vet ratified it. Meanwhile, the Anglo
japanese alliance remains in force.
The President takes an advanced
position only in the home field ana
this step will be regarded as def
ance of organized labor and chal-
lenge to that whole body Of senti-
ment which regards the federal pro
hibition of strikes on railroads as
too extreme step to take SO long
as the railroads remain private pro,
perty. The President NAV be credited
with courage in presenting so adva1lc-
ed a view with administration IN
dorsement. His previous approval OF
antist1ike legislation was during ms
service as a senator. For the theory
Of a ban on railroad strikes very
strong argument can be made. |! IS
The Repubhcan's belief that the time
: will come when railroad strikes will
be unlawful, vet so long as the car
,;iers are rnder private ownership
there is little prospect that sucn
nrihibition can be enacted, or made
effective if enacted. No such law
can possibly be passed by this Con
gress or the next one.
The Presidents proposal to merge
the Railroad Labor board with tn<
Interstate Commerce commission
eliminating special representative
of the companies and OF the unlon
from the labor division, reflects M
we'll justified disappointment over tn
to prevent the shopmens strike las
summer. In view of the pres1denJs
ayowed dissatisfaction with 1T, tn
Railroad Labor board faces troubled
and dubious future, with its presug
reduced to a dangerously low po1nl
Yet there will be difficulty in carrying
through the Presidents plan for tW
reasons. The railroad labor organlza
tions will probably object to the. eli
mination Of their representatives froI
the new tribunal and also to the SCI
tlement of wage disputes by a poo
also charged with the regulation 9
railroad rates. It IS their content'e
that rates and wages arc not an
should not be tied together.
The remaining outstanding featuf
Of the message, is the PRESIDENT
very satisfactory reference to th
prohibition of the LIQUOR traffic. b
speaks words Of sober truth in &C
juring "men who are rendlng tn
moral fiber Of the republic throua
easy contempt for the prohiblt.n
law, because they think it restrlc'
their personal liberty, to renlembe
that they set the example and bre.
a contempt for law which VIII u
timately destroy the republic II
national conference Of governor
which Mr. Harding will call at
earl date for the consideration
ways and means to promote the e.
ercise of The concurrent power of e.
forcement will embody an adnrab
conception Of federal and state G
operation The President has bet
u well advised to declare that "the de
is unlikely to come when the lo'
amendment will be repealed
There is melancholy note OF pc
sonal disillusionment in the openI
of the message, which invites atte'
ticn: ct is .fo:sr years since: II
World war ended, but the inevitab
readjustment Of the social and &c
nomic order is not more than bare
begun There is 10 acceptance ),
prewar conditions anywhere in II
world" In brief, the wav to no
malcy is hard and the goal that tn
Y. administration fixed for itself is ST.
remote. 3fE4.