Evening star., 1925-12-13
Current News Events
Summary of Important National, Foreign
and Local Affairs Specially Arranged
for the Convenience of Students.

Abandoning the custom resurrected
by President Wilson and followed by
President Harding of reading mes
sages to the Congress, President
Coolidge sent his to the Capitol last
week. where it was read by the
clerks separately in both houses.
The President pictured the prog
ress and prosperity" of the Nation at
present in degree almost never be-
fore paralleled in the history of the
country, and his message was sum :
ming up of the things most needed
TO maintain the advance of the Ma
ton. He proposed nothing radical
little that has not been talked of be-
fore, but his recommendations were
all set down in concrete form. Among
the more important of them were:
Reduction of taxation; adhesion 10
the World Court; authority for the
President and the Department OF
Commerce to deal with an emergency
in coal: creation of strong dlfl-
sion in the Department OF Asrlcui-
ture TO aid in the development OF CO.
operative marketing; a selective SerV-
ice act designed to give broad author
ity to the Executive for the mobih-
zation of the country's resources In
time of peril: additional assistant
secretaries of War. Navy and Com
merCe to aid in the development OF
aviation; ratification OF the war depl
agreements: authorization OF the CON
SoIidation Of railroads under super
vision of the Interstate Commerce
Commission. reorganization of the
--.--arlment departments and the di-
rect sale OF Muscle Shoals to the
highest bidder.
Ambassador Matthew. the dean of
q
IN Washington, and who has repre-
Sented his country here since 1913. has
been recalled by his government to
become its minister of foreign affairs.
His recall is expected TO have a favor
able bearing on the outcome OF the
present negotiations for the holding of
the Tacna africa pleb!scite to determine
whether the disputed provinces will go
to Chile or Peru.
With the transfer of Ambassador
Matthew reports are revived in South
America that an effort will be made TO
shift the scene of the negotiations TO
Washington.
The League of Nations Council has
invited the United States, Germany
and Russia TO take part in the work
Of Il special commission now making
plans for an international diSarma-
whether the United States will accept.
Definite answer will have to await
close study of the text of the invita-
ton by the President.
In an interview with the Associated
Press in Tokyo, Premier kato declares
that while Japan would gladly join
anv disarmament conference, he does
not believe the time is ripe for such
n conference, and that several Euro
pean nations probably feel the same
way. He expressed doubt that Russia
would join any such conferences IN
The course OF his interview he said
that a war between Japan and the
United States was not only an absurd
itv but physically impractical. The
Japanese would not go TO war over
immigration, he said, and he expressed
the hope that the United States would
some day amend its immigration laws
as they apply to Japan and remove the
only sore spot which remains between
the two nations.
The Battle Monument Commission,
charged with the proper care OF the
burial places of Americas war dead
In France, has recommended and the
War DEPARTMENT has approved this
simple epitaph upon the graves of the
unknown dead in Here
rests in honored glory an American
soldier known but to God.
While the prohibition question
promises to bob up repeatedly during
he present Congress, Brig. Gen. Lin
coin c. Andrews, Assistant Secretary
of the Treasury in charge OF prohlbl-
ton enforcement, declared last week
In New York that he would resign IL
ne has shown no material progress
within u year in the enforcement OF
the Volstead law The greatest prob
lem facing him, said Gen. Andrews,
is The diversion of industrial alcohol
into Illegal channels, where it is used
by bootleggerS in the manufacture OF
lheir product.
\ pamphlet designed to show that
The War Department is fostering
militariSm through courses In mllltary
training in the schools and colleges
vas made public last week and bore
the names as signers of many prom
ineut men. The pamphlet declared
against the teaching of military
courses in high schools or colleges
and indicated that such teaching
tends to foster military spirit III
This country The War Department
answered the pamphlet, indirectly, by
coming out strongly, in a letter to all
corps commanders, which stated tnat
the War Department stands square
" in favor of military training for the
greatest possible number of students,
considering available personnel, funds
and equipment.