Evening star., 1923-04-25
The Fat in the Fire.


Politically minded republican sena.
tors are quoted as believing that as q
result OF the Presidents speech yes
terday in New York the tat is in the
fire.; in other words, that the contest
between the President and those mem.
hers Of his party who have opposed
some or most of the major policies of
His administration now is on in ear
nest.
Such being the case. it is well to
examine not only the fat itself but the
manner Of its being in the fire. For
this contest which seems impending is
not one in which merely the fortunes
Of Mr.. Harding and a group OF
senators are involved. 1t Is the affair
Of the whole American people. 1t is
their fat which is declared to have
been consigned to the flames, and if
it kindle an excessive confiagration the
whole people will feel the hurt Of
burns. They are going to want to
Know if there was any necessity for
such a fire, and IL not whose spirit of
match.
Take tho proposal for American ad.
hsrence to the protocol establishing
the Court Of International Justice.
Why should that start any tat to
burning? AS was commented upon
yesterday in these columns. Mr.. Hard
ing showed that not only his own ut
leranccs. but the formal declarations S
Of the republican party, had been con.
sistently in favor Of American mem
bership in such a. tribunal. AS the
President said, his proposal to the
Senate in the closing days Of the last
session was simple, natural, normal
proceeding" but certain senators pro-
fessed to regard it as both new and
revolutionary. They are afraid. Some
OF them. apparently. are afraid of the
court, Of the league of nations and Of
everything else that bears ON or apper-
tains to Europe. Others, having no
fear of Europe. seemingly are scared
of the voters back home, assuming as
basis for their fright that the voters
are going to be scared by those who
are scared of Europe. The President
does not believe that entry into the
world court with reservations in
wolves us in European entangiements.
Both he and his party are pledged to
the adjudication OF international dis
putes, and he is willing to stand by
his own and his party's promises
He and his party are also committed
against hurtful foreign entanglements.
and renewing his pledge of loyalty to
this policy, he promises to veto any
legislative proposal involving such en-
tanglements.
Then there is the matter OF an
American merchant marine. Why is
that fat in the fire? The republican
party has been pledged for quarter
OF a century to the upbuilding Of
American shipping. The war finally
gave US the ships, at an enormous
cost, and the peace left them on our
hands. more a liability than an asset
SO long as they remained in govern
ment ownership. The President pro
posed to Congress practical way out
OF the difficulty, a way which would
at once have kept the ships afoat un-
der the American nag and lessened
the drain on the federal Treasury.
Congrcss-or rather the Senate--re.
fused to accept the Presidents plan,
though it had no solution Of its own
for the problem to offer in it's stead.
SO he intends, the President an
nounced yesterday, to go ahead and
do the BEST he can to redeem his own
and his party's promises. He proposes
to consolidate the lines and service,
applying the costly lessons learned
under government operation, then try
to sell. II he cannot sell without un.
due sacrifice, he viii continue govern.
Meht operation. and will operate az.
excessively. unless and until Congress
by, law forbids. AS in the case of
world court membership, he holds it
is simplya question Of whether prom.
ises. his own promises and those of
his party. were meant to be kept or
were put forth merely to meet the
t1ikencies Of politics. - :
On both Of these great Questions the
President regards himself as bound by
a covenant with the American people.
ana he does not intend to be placed in
the position Of. one who-a llnlds faith
lightly.