The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-23

heard MIN that our first duty is to
ourselves and that American stand
ards must be maintained, American in
situations must be preserved"
The whole address was based on the
general theme of seryise--the service
that the American, government might
render to the people and the service
world. He drew the theme from the
work of The Associated Press.
The Law or Service
THE work of The Associated Press,
both necessary and logical" he said.
Indicates that the true method would
appear to lie in recognizing the broad
principle of our individual and national
dependence, calculating the require
ments which flow from that condition,
and governing ourselves accordingly.
Complete independence means complete
coordination and cooperation. From
this principle arises the oft-repeated law
of service-we can help ourselves only
as we help others.
Zone of the preeminent requirements
of our country at the present time is
to re-establish and emphasize. in the
public mind the law of service. The
danger to America is not in the direc-
ton of the failure to maintain its
economic position, but in the direction
of the failure to maintain its deals"
The President, in alluding to this
danger, mentioned that the World war
caused many of the old standards to
be suspended or cast aside and asserted
that although war conditions passed
away they left "a trail of vicious and
criminal selfishness." Then turning to
| the revelations of the Senate investiga-
tons without mentioning them specific
ally, he continued
From all of this sOrdidness the
affairs of government, Of course,
! suffered. In some Of it, few public
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 COM
plete return to normal methods of
action and sane public opinion.
The gravity Of guilt of this kind Is
fully realized and publicly repre-
hended. There is an exceedingly
healthy disposition TO uproOt il al
| together, and administer punish
ment whenever cOmopetent evidence
Of guilt can be produced. That
am doing and propose to continue"
THE law of service" Mr.. Coolidge
contended also demands strong resist
ance against 1.-THE most determined as
saults upon the public treasury" by
minority groups Of one kind of another
and organizations, sometimes almost
nationwide in their ramifications."
The same law requires the adoption
of a sound method of taxation, he as
serted, adding that that success of the
government does not lie in wringing all
the revenue it can from the people but
! in making their burden as light and
fairly distributed as possible"
Carrying the law of service to adj
ministratiOn. of AMERICAS foreign rela-
lions, the President traced the laws
exemplifications the Spanish-American
war which, he said, left our country
world power with world responsible
tiles; Tin the World war in which
America made its sacrifice for what
it believed was the cause of righteous
ness" and at the peace table in Paris
where "our presence softened the terms
and diminished the exactions. of the
victorious nations" He then traced the
steps which led to the selection of three
Americans on the commissions to un
tangle the reparation snarl and de-
clared
"a final adjustment for the liquida
ton of reparations ought to be the be
ginning Of a new era of peace ant
good will"
with Recourse To Reason
"In the event that such a condition
develops" he went on, 'it becomes
pertinent to examine what can be don'
by our own country, in co-opera tioI
with others, further to rid ourselves
and the rest of the world of the menace
and burden of competitive armament!
and more effectively insure the settle
ments of differences between nations
not by recourse to arms, but by 6
recourse to reason not by action lead
ing to war, but by action leading t.
justice. Our past experience SHOULD
warn us not to be Over-confident in thu
face of so many failures but it also
justifies the hope that something may
be done where already there has beer
some success, and at least we car
demonstrate that we have done all tina
President Coolidge cabled the Associ
ated Press, one of the eyes of mankind
which never slumbers.
A Great Significance
"The gathering ana publication o
news that great significance than il
sometimes realized" the President said
mo large enterprise can exist for ltsel
alone. 1t ministers to some great need
it performs some great service, not TO
itself, but for others or, failing there
in, it ceases to be profitable, and cease
to exist This is the case with the AS
ISOLATED Press.
Without ceasing. it assemblies eacl
day the events of each part of the world
and transmits them to every other part
The fundamental reason for this lies il
the fact that it is felt to be of vita
r iportance to each man and each com
lmnuity, to know what other men ant
other communities are doing. TIL
news is printed and read. not for tn
purpose of entertainment, amusemen
and reaction, but almost entirely TO
the practical purpose of information
in order that by means of accurat
knowledge of what others are doing
course may be laid out of accurate ant
successful action.
Faith in the American people mean