The Washington times., 1929-11-13

eANFes
an address which may have .
historic significance Ibis Arnis-
tice Day speech--is that Of being
dubbed q visionary and q "senti-
mentalist."
When he projected the doctrine
that neutral food ships in time Of
war. should be treated the same as
hospital snips-that there should
be no deliberate starving Of wo-
men and children by belligerent
Ia control Of the seashe evoked
much admiration as dOctrlnaMe
but no substantial approval from
the powers that control the uestin'
les Of the nations.
The President must have been
reminded Of the days OF woodrow
Wilson In the White House when
the latter was called dreameI
and an academic statesman. !.
This is role to which he, as an
engineer and an administrator
dealing with the hardest reantles.
is hardly accustomed.
The Armistice Day address
clearly showed that the issue near.
est the Presidents heart is that Of
reducing the burden OF military
establishments, which lies heavily
on the backs Of all peoples.
BUT he made 1T clear also that
he is q thoroughgoing believer IN
the doctrine of preparedness for
war and that the traditional
American doctrine of the freedom
OF the seas" has stanch protector
In his hands.
For his plan relating to food
ships the President has en-
countered a reception on both
sides Of the Atlantic which is
cool, If not openly hostile. The
American press, even that OF the
liberal and the so-called .pacifist
group, is doubtful Of its prac-
tiCality. The British press, which
is not ready to surrender any
inch of the right of blockade
upoi1 which, 1t is alleged, the
British Empire depends for Its
existence, treats the plan gingerly
and suspiciously, even superc1l-
aously.
The President has made 1t
clear that the, project is purely
his own, that it Is not intended
as d Government policy. Further
more, he does not intend to IN
troduce it as q jarring note IN
the coming London conference on
the limitation of armament.
The disruption Of the Repuh-
lican party appears to be pro-
ceeding apace.
The progressive wing OF the
party In the Senate, aligned ur1-
der the leadership of Senator
BoraI1, is openly working as an
adiunct of the Democratic wing
Of that body and has repudlated
entirely the leadership OF the
President.
In some quarters it Is suggested
that there will be another Bull
Moose movement in 1882 and
Senator Borah will be Its prophet
and its candidate.
The rift over the Smoot -HaW-
lev tariff bill is now complete.
when Senator Moses, one Of the
regulars of the Senate, called
the progressives sons Of the wild
jackass," he merely voiced the
current feeling that the progress
sives are entirely without the
sheepfold, and have no idea OF re-
turning.
And when Senator. Reed, of
Pennsylvania, said that the insur-
gent Senators from the Missis-
sippi Valley ought to be regarded
in the same light as Communists.
so far as the national welfare is
concerned, he threw down a
gage of battle which was prompt
" accepted by Senators Brook
hart, Norris, ct al. l
The coalition has rejected a
proposal of Senator SmoOt that
the Senate adjourn for three
weeks period, so that a COM
promise tariff measure can be
passed then. It will insist on
keeping the special session of
the Senate in existence until
the regular session starts next
month. It expects to pass a
tariff bill after its own will, in
cluding the export debenture.
The net result of the passage
OF such a bill by the Senate prob
ably will be the death of all
tariff legislation, inasmuch as
the House would never agree even
on compromise basis to a meas
tlre Of this type,
The, first test of strength for
the Labor government of Ram
say MacDo Donald in England proved
q victory. On the question of
the resumption Of diplomatic re-
laions with. Soviet Russia, the
Laborites had the support Of the
Liberals.
Ia order to give work to the
unemployed, the Labor govern
ment proposes to expend $780,
600, 900 on railway, electrical and
other projects. This is the pro
gram Of J. H. Thomas, minister
of unemployment, and it appears
likely to gain the acceptance Of
Parliament. In some quarters 1t
is regarded as too mild and Zee
bic" to meet the present condi.
Steamships
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