The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-25

navy AOt obAIICu tAC DACSRAAA bPAAAb VI warmed the chilly coolness Of the Pres. ident. He has slowly travelled upon the vehicles of his paper vetoes, vair1y pro. testing but not pressing forward to the task, assuming but not asserting, finch ing but not, fighting -n every issue he has quibbled; in every light he has floundered. Never was party leadership so repudiated and the party so badly torn.
 If it be Japanese exclusion, adjusted compensation for the soldiers, Mellon's taxation rates, development of Muscle Shoals, old soldiers pensions, farmers relief, or world court, he stands forlorn, deserted, pilloried by his own party. As candidate, what did he and his associates promise four years ago re specting international cooperation and the promotion of world peace? Let me read to you from the republican lit. erature of that day. Here is the his: toric appeal of the so.called 31 distin. guished republican leaders, including Charles Evans Hughes, Herbert Hoo yer, William Howard Taft. and Elihu Root:
 The Historic Appeal
 "The undersigned, who desire that the United States shall do her full part in association with the other civil ized nations to prevent war, has earn estly considered how we may contrib ute most effectively to that end by our votes in the coming election. i. The question between the candidates is not whether our country should. join in such association. The republican party stands for agreement among the na. tions to preserve the peace of the world. {. The republican party is bound by every consideration of good faith to pursue such q course until the declared object is attained. We. therefore believe that we can most effectively advance the cause of international CO., operation to promote peace by support ing Mir. Harding for election to the Presidency"
 That was one of the spurious coins of 1920.
 Through their miserable effort and vain meanderings to extricate themselves and their party from the morass of their own deceit, they have nauseated the American people by the pitiable spectacle they present. They aureole their promises with such beautiful rhet- oric and vamp the truth to such an extent that they do not know the di- rection in which they are going. Henry Cabot Lodge, who made Coolidge at Chi. cago and unmade him at Washington, with rolling eyes spews fine. speech about duty and like phantasmal fam cies of his Tightly mind" attempts to weave new webs of intrigue, and to again ensnare and mislead the Ameri- can people. Too long has this cultured gentleman and his intriguing cohorts denied peace to suffering world, and schemes an outraged people can not and will not again be defrauded.
 The lamented Harding, in his big hearted, sympathetic way, sounded the tocsin call in his New York speech to enter the world court, That was only step, but a step in the right di- rection. It was merely n move, but q movement toward the broader and more inviting fields of peace, and he de- served the backing of his party and the cooperation of every peace-loving Amer ican citizen. Coolidge pledged himself to carry out the policy, and. yet from the day he took up the task laid down by Harding he has made only atbow in that direction. The world court at best can decide only international questions unanimously submitted tosit by the par ties to the controversy. Indeed, it is not necessary for them to abide by the decisions of the court unless they agree to do so. And yet, simple as is the plan, earnest as are these nations that are cooperating to make it a success and drawn to a broken world the light of hope and peace, the same serried ranks in the United States Senate are pursu- ing their same indefensible tactics, bent on destruction and to reap their ven- geance.
 A New Recruit
 Recently they have gained a healthy recruit in "Caius Cassius" Pepper, the distinguished keynoter and keystoner. They are not willing to employ their power and talents against our country joining the present world court, but they seek to chloroform the existing plan, to dismantle it, to destroy it. Thus, this unholy conspiracy against the peace of the world is carried for ward, while silence, deep and inpene- trable, broods over the Potomac. For months the Senate foreign relations committee had this question before it. Numerous plans presented and sharp differences constantly arising between the advocates of each. And yet the Pres- ident through it all did not raise his voice. No words of .reprobation fell from his lips. He was as silent as the tomb. And not until the committee had taken action and when the final curtain was drawn upon the closing scene of the Congress did he take the public into his confidence touching his views. And thus the silence of Calvin Coolidge is acclaimed by his Votaries as golden.
 Grover Cleveland once said: Tt is not the mere slothful acceptance of righteous political. ideas, but the call to action for their enforcement and application that tests the endurance and moral courage of men," What America needs now is not a Sphinx, but a Paul Revere to awaken it and call it back to duty and high resolve. Oh, for one in the White House whose heart might be melted and courage aroused to sympathize and to fight. Would that we might once more see in that exalted. position one with the courage of Jackson, the militant hon< esty of Cleveland, the matchless states manship, far-flung vision, and the fine fighting qualities of a Woodrow Will son.
 ,. Lauds Wilson
 Would that we had in the White House the spirit of him whose heart of gold melted in the sympathies of the world---of all humanitywhose cour- age knew and gave no quarter, whose qualities of statesmanship caused him to catch the first whisperings of do- nestle disorder and visualize and pre- scribe for world unrest. 1t is the spirit of him who twice led uA to victory and