The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-10-31
HUGHES PRAISES
ADMINISTRATION
CONTINUED from rage onel


and just appraisement OF difficult
situations, the courteous considera.
ton and kindly disposition, and es-
pecially the untiring zeal for the pun.
&c interest which characterize our
chief Warren G. Harding. the Presi.
dent Of the United States.
1T would be difficult to imagine a
worse tangle in our fore gn relations
than that with which this Admin $.
tration was required to deal. II took
office two years and nearly four
months after the Armstice, but we
we're yet Al war The peace negotia.
tons had evoked bitter and indy.
ing controversy. II had been patent
| think to those who had endeavored
TO estimate the public judgment that
the American people would never
consent to assume any obligation
moral or legal, which would fetter
their appropriate freedom OF action In
unknown contingencies
While We have been Justly solicit
Gus of American rights and interests
in every part of the world, we have
been eager TO do all within our DOW
er, in accordance with the genius of
our institutions. to promote peaceful
settlements and international cooper
alton. We favor, and always have
favored. an international court of
justice for the determination accord.
| ing to judicial standards OF justici
able international disputes.
| II believe that suitable arrange.
ments can be made for the participa
ton by this government N the e'ec.
ton of judges OF the international
/ Court which has been set UP, so that
this government may give its formal
support TO that court ana an indepen.
dent tribunal of International justice.
To support the inst tuition You must
have proper provision for a voice in
! It's constitution and ] think that pro.
vision to this end can be made.
The fundamental and pressing
problems OF Europe are poIit cal prob.
lens involving national hopes and
fears; deep.seated convictions as TO
national safety and opportunity: ma.
tlonal ambitions. In some cases long
cherished. in others recently awaken
ed establ shed policies which have
become postu ates in the thought Of
peoples. The reason that the main
problem OF Europe cannot be solved.
save as Europe helps herself. lies in
the fact that each major difficulty
centers In the self-deiefmined action
OF independent states and IS beyond
exteinai control. There is no reason
why we should ritter away our help.
iul influence by bIcom ns a partisan
OF either partg to sucn cont. OVERSEES,
much less make the fatal mistake OF
attempting TO assume the roio q. die.
tatoi
Europe is AZ this moment bur.
dened with the expense III .arge arm.
les heavily d.spropo Tomato To the
financial ability OF the respective
states TO maintain them These arm
les are maintained because OF dis
trust, apprehension and national as
pirat .ons. Every effort to remove
the burden by agreement as TO llmita
ton OF land armament has failed. II
is recognized that nothing can be
done without the consent OF the Pow
ers directly concerned aud that they
are not ready to consent.
But while the question OF reduc,
ton IN land armamtnts could not be
solved because OF condit ons in
Europe, there was an OPPORTUNITY
presented to us. because ot our speci
al relation to the matter, TO deal with
the question of naval armament and
to stop the naval compel ton upon
which we had entered with Great
Britain and Japan.
The Conference on this subject
not on'y furnished an opportunity for
but the exigency required. the consii.
Grafton Of Far Eastern problem.
When this administration came into
power the air was rife with rumors,
and the psendo.patriots, who make il
their business to stir up susp cion
and distrust by attacks upon the mo.
tivos and purposes of other PEOPLES,
were at work with a larger mea sure
OF success than any actual point OF
difference justified. II was one OF
those conditions which require the
immediate application OF preventive
medicine, and this was applied.
Then, and OF outstanding signin
canoe in the interest of bedce. there
was negotiated the Fourepower Trea
". which, without commit ne the
United States to any all ance. proy,d
Cd that the contracting Powers should
respect their rights IN relation 10
their insular possessions and domin,
ions in the region of the Pacific Ocean
and that they would confer, together
with respect to any controversy that
m ght arise involving such rights
The result Is that we have establish
ed good will aud cooperation M the
Far East in the place OF mutual dis
trust
This conference was not parts.
an enterprise and do not speak OF
IL In partisan way II is but lust
however, to give to the Adm .nistra
tion credit for the. conference, which
could not have been cG. ed, and for
the results. which could not hove
been achieved without its leadership
! There is some tendency, ON the
part of our critics, to comment cynl
cally upon the fact that the Confer