The Washington times., 1923-12-07
iide
World
BY Herbert Kaufman

44C1UC1% AnuA4AA0At
THE man of mystery at last
unmasks his convictions.
Mr.. Coolidge boldly un-
furls the Administration ban
ner and thereby furnishes In
Spiration for the various stand
ards under which contending
candidates will offer campaign
battle.
Or to change metaphors, the
Republicans raise show-window
curtains and invite comparison
with rival stocks of policies.
Messrs. McAdoo, Johnson,
Ralston, La Toilette and Cap
per now know what planks
they can't select for their re-
spective platforms. But hasty
review of the Presidents mes
sage signifies that they won't
60 begging for timber.
Mr.. Coolidge locks the door
On the League Of Nations and
turns the key. Wen not join
the bankrupt club. Wen not
become the international equals
OF Costa Rica, Irak, and Liberia.
Slave-dealing Abyssinia shan't
decide how the United States
must be conducted, provided
Congress doesn't accept Execu-
tive advice on the World Court.
Even Senator Moses, reputed
trumpeter on the Coolidge band
wagon, already refuses to nibble
at that subtly baited trap.
Step Up and Pay, Monsieur
Poincnre.
INDIVIDUALS may use their
4 own judgment in dealing
with Russia; Washington,
though, reafirms determination
TO snub Lenin's government
until our outstanding accounts
are acknowledged and the
Scviets quit meddling in Amer
lean concerns. There'll be no
ambassador to Petrograd while
q. Foster, Esquire, represents
Moscow hereabouts.
Securities Of several wobblv.
powers should be much cheaper
today. Foreign loans must be
met in full. Creditors are priv
tleged to take their time but no
discounts.
NJ. POincare's button wearers
and certain flagless financiers.
with their vaults full of dubious
French, Italian and Balkan
bonds, didn't put it over. Cam
collation. is q dead cat.
Nor has the President any in
tention of surrendering to allied
greed the half billion dollars Ger
many owes local citizens.
Therefore we shall continue
TO press for an unbiased inquiry
into the Reichss capacity to meet
reparations terms and exercise
due effort to-eneeurage the res
toration Of German productivity.
Cut Taxes, Bot Spare the
Tariff.
CECRETARY MELONS tax
~ revision plan is approved,
hook, line and sinker. The bur-
dens of earned incomes should be
considerably hghtened, excess
profits go free and exempt Sc
curities abolished. Prosperity
grins at the very prospect.
Being a staunch New Eng
lander the President has nothing
but praise for the tariff and at
tributes the stability of business
mainly to its jealous schedules.
McAdoo and lots of other folk
respectfully suggest that the
high cost of living is distinctly
relat I'd to the overproduction of
fabric, chemical and sugar inter-
ests.
Mr.. Lasker's sudden bolt to
the progressive camp is perhaps
explained by thumbs down" on
ship subsidy and sale of the
emergency fleet whenever a con-
scionable price is obtained for
its floating white elephants.
FeuOer Floods and Cheaper
Freight.
EMPHASIS is laid upon the
u necessity of improving in
ternal waterways, establishing
control Of Mississippi and Colo
RADIO river flood waters and the
adoption of Secretary Hoover's
plan to develop Northeastern
hydro-eIectric areas. Billions
for efficiency. but not one cent
for "pork."
The public is disabused of its
notion Of Federal guarantees
on minimum railroad earnings.
On the other hand, we learn
that confiscatory regulation of
traffic is unconstitutional. Nor
may the Interstate Commerce
Commission recapture and dis
tribute excess rates pending
Supreme Court decision on that
point.
Admitting that lower freight
charges are primarily depend
ent upon consolidation of trans
portation systems, the Execu-
tive, as yet, is unwilling 20
invoke compulsion. Meanwhile,
Congress is requested to give
carriers more intelligent