Evening star., 1928-05-21

Current events In the Senate clamor
loudly for revival of the Dawes plan to
revise the rules and cut the cackle.
The inability OF the administration and
the naval affairs committee 10 bring
the cruiser program TO a vote Is as
disgraceful a legislative spectacle as
Capitol Hill has faced in many moon.
Senator Hale of Maine. the Naval chair
man. has counted noses and informs
the Senate that not more than 20
members oppose the bill. Yet under the
archaic and subversive rules which
Vice President Dawes once assaied so
bitterly, II Is possible for so miserable
minority 10 hold up vitally important
national defense project. The nominal
Justification for frustrating vote on
the Navy bill Is an unwillingness TO
displace the tax bill which Is still under
endless debate. Probably two hours OF
calendar time would suffice To permit
disposition of the cruiser program,
which has the support OF the admins
tration, the approval OF the House, and
the backing Of all patriotic elements
In the country The paCiiist lobby, after
smashing the original II ship program
last Winter, brazenly declared It's in-
tenti0n OF preventing any kind OF a
building programs 1t looks as II 1t were
going 20 accomplish thats mollycoddle
purpose.
In refusing To give the Navy bin n
decisive hearing. the Senate happens
10 be fiddling while Rome burns. Here
In Japan, with It's frankly revealed
plans, for making itself the master of
Manchuria, stirring up as grave an IN
ternational situation as the Far East
has known since the World War, No
country has stood more reSolutely
against JapanlZatiOn OF Manchurla
than the United States II has just
been reaff1rmed In the highest official
quarter that America looks upon Man
churia as Chinese territory" From the
same direction comes the equally sig
nificanL assertion that the United
States recognizes no japanese claim
10 special interests" there. American
statesmen whose international think
Ing does not extend beyond tho three
smile limit probably see no occasion
Tor anxiety IN these fast t-developlng
events across the Pacific, But before
the world Is many years older they
may rue the day Congress refused 10
| maintain the United States Navy at
The Sos ratio. Senator Borah. chair
man Of the foreign relations commit
teep regards Japan's Mauchurian pro-
gram NJ bold move" which calls tor
earnest attention, lie may take early
occasion L0 say SO.
4 4
WIN the Kansas City convention
only three weeks away, the strategy OF
Lht nnti-Hoover allies" is now stripped
of camoufiagr aud fully exposed They
have abandoned the hope of pltting
against the Californian any candidate
| with even half as many nf the 300
votes, more OF less. which he WIN com
| mand at The outset Gov. LoWden alone
| will loom against Hoover with strength
measurable In three figures TO only
dcfeattht tactics are now relied upon
! l0 stop the Secretary 0t Commerce,
| necessarily between this date and June
| IL, Republicans will be warned that il
| Hoover nomination means nl loss OF
| the Midwest agricultural section and
| (2D capture 0f New York by Smith and.
| with IL, probably Rhode Island, Maaah~
| ohusetts Connecticut and New Jer~
| sey. II u sufficient scare can be thrown
| into delegates pledged or semiypledged
| 10 iI0nver, the "ailieA" count cOnildent=
| ly on unhotaing him. IT they decline
| 10 be- atampeded the ''allleA" know
| their lig ih up Their shtet~nnehor in
| Coolidge. Their next beat II Hughes
| They will Take Dawes as "a third re-
course, and Charlie Curtis Ia eX~
| tremls,
| some pretty persuasive pressure Is
going t0 be brought t0 bear on Jim"
! Reed between nnW and Houston Ia In
duce him TO appreciate the beauty of