Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-11-12
The Coolidge Doctrine.

Never curing MS i've duu Iu0A WI
years in the White House has President
Coolidge spoken in more clarion tones
than fell from his lips on Armlstlce
dav. His theme was National Defense
and the United States Foreign Policy y
Before he had finished, the President
laid down what deserves to be known
as "the Coolidge doctrine"
In epitomizing Americas attitude to-
ward the world beyond our shores ne
defined it as preparation, limitation
and renunciation.' The Coolidge doc
trine" calls for preparation for peace by
adequate readiness for war, for limita-
ton of armament within the confines
of American security and for renuncia-
ton of war as an instrument OF ma
tional policy. Statesmen have expressed
those sentiments before. None ever
uttered them with finer precision,
greater pungency or so convincing posi-
tiveness.
No point raised by President Coolidge
annroaches in timeliness his reference
to the Navy. Within a few weeks the
Senate will act upon the sixteen-snlp
construction program already passed by
the House. Fifteen Of those ships are
cruisers. Mr.. Coolidge argues with un-
answerable facts the pacifist whine that
the cruisers have become an unneces-
sary expenditure in face OF the Kellogg
anti-war pacts.
The President shows that, on the
basis of existing programs, Great Brit
ain would eventually have So MODERN
high-powered cruisers-the safeguards
of commerce at sea-while the unlteo
states would have only 40. That is not
the parity called for by the 5-o-o
ratio enacted at the washington con-
ference. Instead of parity, it Is, from
the American standpoint, perilous IN
equality. That is why our Government
recently refused to accept" as the
President logically illustrates, the Apgio-
French limitation scheme, which lin
tied the United States Navy and lett
the fleets of Britain and France un-
limited. rta.
America Graves peace, Mr.. Coolidge
insists, and, because she does SO, Is
adopting the only practical principles
ever proposed" But he adds, Peace Is
of little value if it is constantly accom-
panied by the threatened or the actual
violation of national rights" Then, as
4 natural consequence Of that self
evident condition, the President OBJ
serves: eft is our duty to ourselves and
to the cause of civilization, to the pres
ervation OF domestic tranquility, to our
lawful and orderly relations with for
eign people, to maintain an adequate
Army and Navy" Than that, the Eng
lish language does not lend itself to a
terser justification of national life in
surance, which Is but another name for
national defense.
-. On less purely domestic issues. Presi-
dent Coolidge was equally eloquent and
effective. He warned Europe that
America has reached the limit Of her
patience with Old World borrowings fol
: purely militaristic purposes. In un-
minced words he points out that Amer
lean dollars loaned to Germany have
practically financed all Of the father
lands reparation payments to the allies
He admonishes the Poincares and other
European hopefuls to abandon their day
dreams. of transferring further repara.
ton obligations from Germany's Shout
,ders to the already heavily laden backs
of American investors.
Finally, in the broadest transatlantic
gesture Of all, the President sweeps into
deserved oblivion the theory that the
., United States got rich out Of the
World War. Our eventual loss" from
the war, Mr.. Coolidge reveals, will ap'
proximate a hundred billion dollars.
few more enrichments like that ane
America would be ready for the inter
national bankruptcy court.
Calvin Coolidge may not have man,
more stellar occasions to proclaim thu
sturdy American faith within him. HI
could afford to rest on his Armistic'
day laurels. They make secure hi
fame as the authentic voice Of America