Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-24
Expresses Hope for Enduring
Peace as Result of ADnerj-
can Initiative and Ameri-
can Efforts

CAL LIIOtlS
NEW YORK. April 23.-The text
- President Coolidg9's address at
annual Associated Press luncheon
Tuesday, follows:
The principle of service is not to
be COMPOUNDED with weak and I'M
practical sentimentalism. 1t does
tnot mean that either the individual
or the nation is to assume the bur-
dens which ought to be borne by
others. 1t is warranted in cOnsid'
ering SELF to the extent of recognize
ing that it is justifiable to aCcumu'
late and hold the resources which
must necessarily be used to serve
ourselves, our own household, and
our own nation. But it does not
stop there | recognizes also the
necessity of serving others, and
when the need arises for meeting
a moral requirement, of making indl-
vidual and national sacrifices sutti-
Gent to maintain the cause of right
ecusness.
Some Of the recent developments
| in Washington have revealed the
dangers to which [ refer in a very
dramatic way. Beginning nearly
ten years ago our country entered
a period when conditions were alto
gether artificial and abnormal,
eliminating in the strained and
lurid events of our participation in
the war. The old standards of &C
tiou were either suspended or en-
! tirely cast aside. Altogether too
many of those in Il position to do so
began to take advantage of the ne
cessities of the situation for their
own profit. Finally nearly all of
those in responsible positions
Throughout the entire civilized world
| had but one main object in view,
which was the winning OF the war.
| They began to make almost every
consideratio ton and motive subsidiary
to that great effort. Totally incon.
ceivable amounts OF money were
raised and expended with lavish
ness which a few months before
would have been believed impossible,
and which now seems like some wild
| nightmare. Notwithstanding the
great wave of patriotic fervOr which
swept over the land; notWithstand-
| ing the tremendous sacrifices which
made, and stood ready to make; al
most unconsciously these conditions
developed, which | mention not Cor
any purpose now to criticize, where
| the least scrupulous became the
greatest gamers and a considerable
| part Of our population was thrown
| into a morbid financial state of
mind, which even the best Intention
ed did not wholly escape. The de-
sire for profits and more profits kept
! on increasing, and the quest for
easy money became well-nigh uni
versal All of this meant an attempt
| to appropriate the belongings Of
others without rendering a CORE
| spending service.
This condition began to subside
nearly four years ago, but it left
along it's course a trail OF vicious
and criminal selfishness which in
diminishing degree has ever since
been attempting to Srac1t% an appe-
tite grown all the sharper thrCugh
| indulgence, and d general cree ulity
to rumors of large sums Of money
| demanded and paid on account OF
every conceivable motive and &C
ton.
TO Punish Guilty
From all of this sordidness the
| affairs of government, of course,
| suffered. In some of it few pub
| lie officers were guilty participants,
| But the wonder is not that this was
| so much or so many rather that
| it has been so little and so few. The
encouraging thing at present is the
| evidence of a well-nigh complete re-
turn to normal methods of action,
and a sane public opinion. The gray
| ity OF guilt, of this kind is fully
realized and publicly reprehended
There is an exceedingly healthy dis
position wherever competent tVi-
dence of guilt can be produced. That
am doing and propose to COntinue.
Another phase Of lingering eX.
traVaGance, from which the country
has not yet fully recovered is re-
vealed by a consideration of the
bills which are pending before the
congress, calling for an expenditure
Of public money. Exceedingly great
efforts have been put forth to re
duce the cost of government. Hun
dreds of thousands of public EN-
plOyes have been released. and every
department has been thoroughly de
flated and placed under most com
nGlebL llHdHCIdI super ISloIl / iS
country as IL whole is demanding
with great Vigor every possible re-
lief from the burden of every I'M
necessary public expenditure. Yet
Notwithstanding this, minority
groups of ons kind or another, and
organizations, sometimes almost ma
tion-Wide in their qualifications, are
making the most determined assaults
upon the public treasury. | am ad
ViSed by the director of the bureau
of the budget that careful cOmputa-
| ton dscloses that there are bills
pending that are seriously pressed
| for passage. not including the bonus
| which would increase the eXpendi-
| lures of the federal government for
next year by about $500, 100000
| This would mean that outside Of
! the postoffice department, which is
| practically self-sustaining, the pres
| ent rate of expenditure would be
more than doubled Each one of
| these items taken by itself is not
| large, and its supporters argue that
| certainly the government can afford
| to make this small additional pay
| ment. But taken in the aGCreS lie
! they make the stupendous sum /
| have mentioned, and their aSSump-
ton ~ the government would mean
nothing less than financial disaster
TO the nation. The law of service
must 10 applied to this situation.
Our country is very rich, but were
its possessions increased MANIFOLD.
it would not be warranted in pay