Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1927-03-03
NEWS REVIEW OF
CURRENT EVENTS
President Coolidge Vetoes
the Farm Relief Bill
Crisis at Shanghai.
BY EDWARD W. PICARD

RESIDENT COOLIDGE on Friday
vetoed the McNary- Haugen farm
relief bill, and all hope for govern
mental relief for the agriculturists
was abandoned until the next congress
shall meet. The chief executive in
one of the longest veto messages ever
received by congress, repeated his al
ready well-known reasons for consid-
erlng the bill economically unsound
and fallacious. He said it was a price
fixing scheme indirectly and would put
the government into buying and sell
ing. He condemned the equalization
fee as a tax on some farmers for the
benefit of others. He asserted the
plan would increase production and
lower the world price to a point that
would result in flooding the country
with foreign farm product imports
over the tariff wall The President
appended an opinion by Attorney Gen
eral Sargent holding the bin unconsti-
tutional In numerous particulars.
Whatever may be the opinion Of
the soundness of Mr.. Coolidge's rea-
sons for vetoing the bill or of his po-
litical wisdom in this respect, there
is no question of his consistency ami
his courage In the matter. In thercen-
trail West the immediate reaction to
the veto was definite determination
to put Frank O.. Lowden in the. run
ming for the Presidential nomination
at the next national convention. The
Democrats in congress saw an Oppor-
tunity to win the farmer votes for
tariff reduction.
M ATTERS in China moved rapidly
1Nl toward a crisis last week. Fol
lowing his crushing defeat at Hang
chow by the Nationalists, Marshal Sun
Chuan-fang hitherto ruler of Kiangsu
province, gave up Hangchow, Kashing
and Ningpo, second largest port In
Ghekiang province, and retired on
Shanghai AT the same time the Ma
tionalists in Shanghai started gen
eral strike which, though nominally
directed against Sun, was actually an
anti-foreign demonstration and pretty
effectually tied up business and traffic
in the city. The Chinese officials tried
to curb it by the summary execution
of scores of leaders and student agi-
tators whose heads We're sliced off and
4 stuck on poles in the streets. In the
midst of the ruction Sun decided he
/ was beaten and practically surren-
dered leadership Of the anti-Canton
I fhorn tn Nh1,r o.
1 chang, boss of Fengtien, who entered
| the lower Yangtse valley with a large
army. Crews of two of SUMS gun
boats anchored in the Whangpoo river
rebelled and began firing three-inch
shells In the direction of the Shanghai
arsenal. Owing to poor Workmanship
nearly all the shells fell in the French
concession, where several residences
4 were struck. French gunboats speed
lily put an end to this performance. On
Thursday the Nationalists called off
the strike. partly because they were
running out of funds and partly be-
cause of the terrorism Of the execu-
tons The beheadings ceased and
most of the workers returned to their
Jobs.
Twelve hundred American marines
arrived from San Diego on the trans
port Chaumont but not disembark
That made the total of American
armed forces there about 1900 Five
American warships were at anchor In
the Whangpoo and four more destroy
ers were on the way there The Brit
lsh forces were constantly being
strengthened, and the French were re-
lnforced. All these may be needed
when the expected struggle for posses
sion Of Shanghai starts between the
Cantonese and the armies of Marshal
Chang Tso-lin which are moving from
me north.
DY A vote of 20S to III the house
~ accepted the senate amendment to
lhe navy appropriation bill providing
money for beginning the three light
.ruisers whose construction the Pres