Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-11

@HE opening OI CoiiS eSS win
its central feature, the Presi'
dents message, so tremendously
L over shadows for us the weeks
transactions in the rest of the
world. that I postpone to next week
notice of the latter. Nothing could be
more profitable than n close study of
each annual presidential message to
Congress, providing. as it does, con-
spectus of the national scene not else
where to be found. 1t is hoped that
the following summary of the main
features of this years message VIII
help to drive home those features;
/. During the past year the country
has enjoyed "a prosperity never eX-
ceeded." Though ''some parts OF agrl-
culture and industry have Jagged ana
some localities have suffered from
storm and flood, such losses nave
been absorbed without serious detrl'
ment to our economic structure. Inc
omens promise a good year ahead.
.. constructive economy in Gov
eminent expenditures" is largely to be
credited with the remarkable pros
peritv Of the past four years. Let
there be no relaxation thereof. At the
end of the current fiscal year the ma.
tional debt will have been reduced
from it's peak of about $26,600, 900 900
ia about S17.975 600. 900. BY the same
token the annual interest will have
been reduced from Sl,055 100000 to
SG70 900 900 Note of as high signlf-
canoe in this connection that during
the past year the average rate OF IN
terest on the debt has fallen below
4 per cent; the lowest rate paid by
any great power.
Through three taX-reduction meas
ures taxes have been reduced so as
no longer to bear hardly. "EXemp-
tions have been increased until 49,
100000 people make but 2,ooo'oOo
individual taxable returns. so that
further reduction should be manly
for the purpose Of removing lnequal'
tiles" The recent recommendations
of the Secretary of the Treasury
looking to "a much better balanced
system of taxation" have the Presi-
dents complete support.
3. Our policy respecting Army
Navy and fighting air forces IS one
strictly of defense. The Army should
be handsomely maintained approx
mately on it's present basis. The hVe'
year program adopted for our air
forces is adequate and is being real
lied with sufficient rapidity. In view
of the magnitude of our foreign com
merce, our outlying territories in the
Pacific and the Atlantic, our interna-
tional duty of defending the Panama
Canal and our great continental
stretches of sea coast we need "a very
substantial sea armament; subma-
rines, as soon as the Navy Depart
mcnt decides upon the best type OF
construction" airplane carriers, and
"a material addition to our force of
cruisers" Though we have put
away the Old World policy of COM
petitive ornaments" we are bound to
take order toward adequate national
defense. In our efforts to secure
three-power treaty which should
extend the principles Of the Wash
ington naval treaty to types of craft
not covered by that treaty, 1--WE were
granted much cooperation by Japan,
but were unable to come to an agree
ment with Great Britain"
This much, however. we learned
from the negotiation, namely, that no
agreement in that sense is imaginable
which should do away the necessity
Of "a considerable building program
on our part" The failure to agree
should not cause us to build either
more or less than we should had there
been no negotiation. I'VE should enter
on no competition, but we should re-
frain from no needful program"
4. THE Shipping Board is constantly
under pressure, to which ii too often
yields, to protect private interests,
rather than serve the public welfare.
More attention should be given to
merchant ships as an auxiliary of the
Navy. The possibility of including
| their masters and crews in the Naval
| Reserve with some reasonable com
! pensation should be thoroughly eX-
plored as method of encouraging
| private operation of shipping. Public
| operation is not a success. No in
vestigation, of which / have caused
several to be made, has failed to
report that it could not succeed. 1t
should be our policy to keep our pres
! ent vessels in repair and dispose of
them as rapidly as possible, rather