Evening star., 1932-02-05

is a strategic move. The Fort Worth
Star Telegram independent Demo-
cratic) states as to his utterance: so
far as ability and personality are con-
cerned. there is no man of presidential
caliber politically who is better quail
fed for the presidency than Newton D.
Baker. He knows his way around
Washington and through the labyrinths
of foreign entanglements. He has been
tried under the superlative of executive
detail. But he appears to be the poor
est politician of them all. His an
nouncement concerning the League OF
Nations proves that statement A poll
tician would make it a platform plank
and then paint it with two or three
coats of presidential hokum. The Baker
system is to declare it an educational
issue to be kept out of politics and
ready for use only when an informed
citizenship is prepared to give the sure
intent OF public opinion to this coun-
tryS membership. 1t is rather too bad
that he has taken that stand. 1t merely
serves to make possible the nomination
OF more adroit politician with no more
OF earned right to party preferment and
of native ability"
The declaration "is undoubtedly in a
form very different from what the pub
lie has been accustomed to have from
Mr. Baker" contends the Charleston
Evening Post (Democratic) adding that
1T is naturally and doubtless correctly
assumed to be an adjustment of himself
to the possibilities of call to lead his
party" The Birmingham Age Herald
tDemocratic) declares its significance
is in the fact that he seems to be for
soft-pedaling discussion. at least for
the time being" and adds that "one
wonders why he felt it desirable to
hing this sop to Cerberus" The San
Francisco Chronicle independent Re-
publican) is convinced that "it must be
blow to some of Mr. Bakers chief
advocates" and 1T must be that he
does not count them as the ones who
have a nomination to bestow"
Finding that the League and recent
world events have received joint atten-
tion, the Dayton Daily News indepen-
dent Democratic) says: Because the
League hasn't had the strength to
coerce Japan, We spurn the League. It
Is true that our original rejection of
the League was based on the fear that
the League would have the coercive
power whose lack We now denounce, but
logic and consistency seldom rule. If
Japan has shredded the League, it also
treaty. Shall we, therefore, denounce
that? But that is horse of another
color. The upshot Of all this is appar-
emily an increased mass antipathy to
the League. Politics must deal with
facts as they are. America will neces-
sarily In time cooperate with the world.
probably through the League. This
will come through education and grow
Ing experience. For the present that
question, along with Mr.. Hoover's abo-
htion of poverty, is out of politics"
The Baltimore Sun Gndependent
Democratic) gives the Interpretation:
He prefers to limit our official action
to policy Of sympathetic co-opera-
ton with all League efforts to promote
peace. He would leave the broad cues
tion OF any permanent relationship with
the League to the slower processes of
study and education. This Is a sound
and enlightened position 1t steers
clear Of the pettifogging isolationist
dogma which has governed most of our
relationships with Europe since the
close of the Wilson administration.