Life — August 12, 1920 — page 21: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

month that Hoover had been out to see Harding and had come back using lan- guage unsuitable for publication, Hoover came out as a Republican in order to give Republicans a chance to vote for the League of Nations in the California primaries. He swallowed the Chicago platform with the hope that the Repub- lican performance would be better than the prospectus. At this writing it has not transpired whether or not he has also swallowed the Republican candidate. For a beginning Republican, Mr. Hoover has had pretty difficult feats put up to him, R. HARDING'S style of writing, ac- quired doubtless in the practice of the newspaper calling in Marion, is the sort best adapted to fill editorial space without getting the paper into trouble. It is not a very lively style. He uses long words and as many of them as his sen- tences will carry. That does not much affect his ability to be a useful President if the voters will have him, but he ought without delay to hire a condenser to boil down his public talk and omit all words and sentences that don’t say anything. He calls “to all the people for thrift and economy, for denial and He would do well to begin himself by thrift in adverbs and economy in adjectives, self-denial in rhetorical meanderings, and sacrifice of superfluous locutions. After getting through with the League, he makes about four columns of general suggestions about the conduct of life and Republican government, a good many of which are probably good, though unex- citing. One of them is perplexing read- ing. Speaking of water transportation, he “T like that recommittal to thoughts of America first which pledges the Panama Canal, an American creation, to the free use of American shipping. It will add to the American reawaken- ing.” If he means by that that he favors the reopening of the Canal Tolls fight, won so creditably in the first years of Mr. Wilson's first administration, he wants a sacrifice.” says: *LIFE. very bad thing, unless, indeed, poses to maintain the he pro- canal as an institu- tion of public benefit, free to all ships of all nations, which might be done. “T believe, tariff policy, and kne calling for its saving Ame Considering that of world the United States is the one that Mr. Harding's con- saving Americanism” America that is en- United worth. It is he says, “in the protective- shall be icanism again.” w that we countries in the least needs succor, ception of a bit narrow. seems ism grossed just now in the limited saving States is of very Europe that needs saving Mr. Harding's idea of * Ame seems always to be first at the trough merous or unselfish He is apparent- ly a decent man, but only a man of rare There is hardly a g idea in his whole speech discernment like Mr. Lodge could find in him the spirit of Washington, Lir Roosevelt ‘oln and will have been noticed, Mr. Hard- account the relation ing wants not League of Nations, but a new with the world to commit its moral forces on any to peace and justice, or, as he expresses n of nations, it elsewhere, “an associati co-operating in sublime accord, to attain gh justice rather and preserve peace thr than force.” That would be first could get it. Mr. Wilson, who hates foree as much as anyone can, would rejoice ex- rate, if only we ation of nations co- operating in like the heavenly bodies, without anyone to punch them up. If Mr. Harding will fix up a workable article like that and leave it out of doors, Mr. Wilson will beat him to it, infirm as he still is. But the nearest thing to Mr. Harding's “association” that Mr. Wilson could get at Paris was the League, and probably that is the nearest thing that Mr. Harding will ever get. If we don't get into the present League of } we will probably continue to flock by our- selves, or with Mexico and Turkey as companions, ceedir.gly in an assc sublime accord ions, possibly s By ge SIS 8 ah £ ed in easy and open way to Mexico.” It admin: G in reply expre M*« HARDI) belief “in righteous relation ed to him that ent seem tion had mishandled the job, but he aght it would “be simple to have a n and neighborly understanding, mere- nding abot gq our ly an unders respec borders, about protecting the lives and pos- and then the understanding must be faithful American citizens, sessi ns of y kept.” ithfully kept! in Mexico But suppose it isn't Suppose there is no aut ) at will hold hat then? Mexico seems to be coming to a better nails case, and by next March may be co-oper- 1 the ng so nearly in sublime accord United States that the new administration will be able to let her alor tut Mr Harding’s plan for Mexico discloses such that one almost jent so as to see originality of attitude wants to see him Pre what he will do. Mr. his Harding, spoke with feeling 3 » Mr. dat some remarks Lodge, in length about “ Mexico in a state of dis- our order and disintegration, to which government has unhappily most liberally contributed,” and reminded Mr. Harding that have to about it something would be done man,” he said, * run this great republic.” here was much the same feeling long time about the It was such a big war that no single general was equal to the job of cc ling the Allied rmies. And yet in final desperation preme command given to Marshal Foch, and that turned out to be a good war mmary su- was plan. The tha mittee of the Senate than by a may turn out to be unsound, even though idea that is so big it can better be managed hy a com- President, our country Senator Lodge and Senator Harding both favor it. comicbooks.com