The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-27
T PRESS ON POLITICAL SITUATION


 ing all departments>. Main 4soo.
 EPREss ON POLITICAL SITUATION
 } Several have tried to sound what IS caneu the Keynote of the Republican campaign Ior the presidency, but the tune must pc popu lar one if it is to win votes. Neither ', nsna ; for Pepper nor Mr. Hughes was successful m the attempt, for it is more popular to inyesti- Sata than not to investigate. Especlahy IS A;s xo when the results of the investiga- lions have been so plentiful and so important Ia to justify the concern which the pupnc kroperly feels when any of its important Tublic servants are recreant in their trust Tr goolidge's effort has made more of an Snnrtssion. not primarily because of it's dnslitv. but because it was made by the Sresident who is also the prospective hepuD- aean snominee. At any rate, editors have aiyen it mores discussion and more space.
 ' The Springfield Republican does not be- lieye that the Republicans, are playing the political game shrewdly when, on the one hand. they accomplish the defeat of Governor Pinchot as delegate-at-large from fennsSF vafia, and on the other articles that are Appearing intthe National Republican, mouth l5isce of the officers of the Republican na- tonal committee, that must be highly oIien- siye' to men whose support of the Republican D hcan party cannot drive them and their sympathizefs out of its ranks and remain 4 major party unless it can attract an equal lumber of conservative Democrats and thus make the party pre-eminently so conserva- five that no liberal, however moderate, can kreathe withih the bounds of it.D- On the Sther side, gthe Democratic conservatives Will stand by their party candidate, for no wild mans this year will receive the Demo- cratic nomination The Republicans at Cleveland face the necessity of concluding 10 far as possible the liberal clements of the tarty, but trying to defeat man like Gov ernors Pinchot for membership in the conven- ton is. no way to go about the job. The Republican platform will need to show m certain directions a progressive slant that can at -leastsbe discerned with the naked eye, and sthe candidate for e-president should Be as near the heart of the progressive ele- Iaerits,eof the West as Bofah, or Capper, or Eenyon.p
 The manner in which the president set taas the immigration question is likely to have an influence, according to the Dallas News: His actions will affect the political fortunes of himself and his party. This must present perplexing question to the prgsident He will not find it easy to de. tetnina which is the course. of expedience. His action, whether of approval or of dis approval is pretty certain to cost h1m ana his party some votes Pretty likely veto would cost him more than would an ap- proyalr The foregoing comnhent applies particularly to the Japanese exclusion act It is not likely, however, that the. feeling generally throughout the country on this question is strong enough materially to af- feet 'tde fortunes of the candidate, except as a contribntory influence. t
 Although praising the presidents enuncia- ton of principles; the Louisville Courier Journal Aoesn't believe that he applies them practically and concludes: President Cool id9e's foreign policy, as indicated by his ex- pressed desire to be of world service through International conferences and courts, is praisewotthy. But claiming recognition for the American government for the good ac- complished by American citizens whom 1t refusaa officially to back is without con- sfsteney or warrant" The Kansas City Star places the emphasis of the presidents state naent on his opinion with respect to taxes: ssTha presidents address is not pessimistic. He believes congress will work out tax mcclure mot inconsistent with the great re- sources of the country But he puts in his cogent reminder: f'The government, in or der to be successful, and all those connected with it. must put their energy upon what they can do for the people, not upon what they can get out of them The whole tenor of the address was to exalt ,seryice--the ideal of asgovernment by the people and for the people ,7s
 sLikewise finding the utterances on taxa tfon as of primary import, the Washington Star remarks: MT. Coolidge puts his finger on the source of the determined resistance to the adoption of a sound method of taxa ton The main argument of the opposition, he says, can all be reduced to the supposition that the general public can be relieved of taxation, and a greater proportion of taxes laid on the rich. The president does not be- lieFe that the public desires to have the ad- vantage of government without paying its part of, the cost of maintaining it. lie be- lieves, further, that, notwithstanding the failure of a majority of the congress up to the present time accurately to comprehend and expeditiously to minister to the need of taxation reform the requirements of economy and reduced taxes will be met in away not inconsistent with the great re sburces of our country" By which it is per e&ived that the Star acts more in the capac- itY of an interpreter than of a critic.
 The Atlanta Constitution believes that the Coolidge plea for ''closer economic co-opera-
 
 Europe was perhaps more vigorous than that of.the late President Harding. and in some respects conincided closely with the views of The late President Wilson. On the whole the speech was sound and construc- tive In its reference to foreign affairs 1t followed closely the views of The Constitu- t1on as repeatedly expressed, and struck a sofar-plexus to the coterie of isolationists in tbe senate" It is perhaps not unduly criti- al to remark, however, that the views thus oxpressed were cautiously kept from actual commitment to any concrete world program now in operation, except for the world court, md thati is already hackneyed position to take. Nobody disapproves of a world court. It is a very happy middle ground to take, if merely to avoid arousing antagonism is the primary object. But that object can hardly oe a constructive basis for national policy. S - ' .'
 PRESS AND FOREIGN REL LATIONs
 Mot only true in conception, but construc- 5ye in spirit is the message which Premier Macdonald of Great Britain sent to the