Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-08-31

was nominated our national bonds
were at about Is per cent discount.
They are now all within per cent
of par and some are a trifle above
par.
We have practically no unemploy-
ment, no industrial depression. Our
farm products alone are suffering.
This is due TO competition in for
eign markets of wheat, ETC., raised in
countries that are paying their labor
n deprecated currency and to high
freight rates that are made necessary
part at least by the repairs made
necessary by the dmoralized condi-
lion incident to war traffic. Is there
mother man in any party who could
have shown such results under the
condi tions? The rant and frothing
It the mouth of demagogues too ig
lorant or too selfish to appreciate
such things is most wearisome to me.
What has been accomplished by
The statemanship of our late Presi
dent in the last thirty months in
peace lines? Since the Russo-Japan-
csc war there has been fear of COM
plications that might lead to war on
the Pacific. The fact that the fear
of such war has been the result of
propaganda by interests to which it
was profitable to keep the matter
bubbling made no difference. The
fear was there and it was to some
slight degree justified by the Anglo
Japanese alliance If there were no
justification it at least gave the
calamity howlers something to talk
about. The time was coming to re-
new that alliance. l know not and
the public may never know the facts,
but Just at that time the disarmament
conference was called. Secretary
Hughes made the astounding offer to
discontinue building up the strong
est navy in the world which we
alone could finance and not be bank
rupt, but also offered to destroy a
large part of our great naval vessels
already built and building on the con-
diition that England, Japan, France
and Italy would consent to a pro-
proportionate limitation and reduc
ton. When the American people
saw the announcement of that propo-
sition we fairly gasped at the big
ness of the offer We would sacrifice
many millions of dollars in the in
tereSt of world peace and we would |
give Japan free reign to hold a posi-
ton not equal to ours and Englands, |
but much nearer than already held |
and more than equal, considering the !
of territory and poulation of
the three nations.
Was it the herald of a new era or
was it foolishness? Gradually the |
of the move dawned on our
people. England would give up the
idea of navy stronger than any
other two. We would have the same
strength as England for war be-
tween us was unthinkable. England
would also scrap many millions of
dollars worth of her navy. 1t pre-
vented the renewal of the Anglo
Japanese alliance. 1t assured us that
there was not the slightest danger of
Japan attacking us with navy only
three-fifths of our strength and there
was no chance even if we had de-
sired it to attack Japan with a navy
only forty per cent larger than theirs
even if we could get our whole navy
across the seven thousand miles of
Pacific ocean.
1t meant more. 1t was the assur-
lnce of permanent peace between us
and Japan and also with England
and that England would under no
circumstances take sides
with any enemy we might have
Whether the plan first suggested by
President Harding or Secretary
Hughes we know not, but without
he full support and concurrence of
he President it would never have
ieen the light. 1 pronounce it theI
most gigantic step towards peace and
rood will since the angels of Bethel
lem sang that first Christmas carol.
Way, since the first sunrise on this
,arth.
Last Friday the nations exchanged
of this agreement. Oh.
hat the five nations would make
Angus II a national holiday grander
han the Fourth of July or Bastile
lay of France, more than any day in
I'll the year except Christmas and
Caster. Oh, that Warren Harding
night have lived TO see the result of
lis great step toward a peace that
hall be as permanent as the stars in
he heavens.
or course the author of such an
ldvance towards world peace would
make the next move. He waited UNI
il the logic of events would Justify
L anu IuGh PIOpOSCu luG
in a world court. The
objections to the League of Nations
eemed insurmountable to a large
majority of the American people. |
his did not mean that they would
lot gladly support some way of pre-
'enting war and President Hard
ng's proposition, though only par
tally studied out, meant the adop-
ion of the League of Nations no !
lore than it meant a passive ac-
uiescence in the idea that as there {
lways have been wars there always
yill be wars. OF course; it met with ]
Elections for political reasons and
rom the interests that would suffer-
there was a doing away with the I
disability of war. We hope Presi-
ent Coolidge has received so much
President Harding's inspiration s
hat we can go forward and advance
he cause of a World Court in the
anne of him who said, BLESSED are
he peacemakers, for they shall be ,
allied the children of God"
OF other outstanding steps in Mr.. :
Iarding's all too brief administra-
on 1 have no time to speak, with T
ngle exception They were the Z