America and the World.

Evening Star, Issue 17636, 15 April 1921, Page 4

America and the World.

Is his first Message to Congress President Harding has been able to state that he believes the League of Nations is dead. If tho Message had been spoken and not written we could imagine the President making that statement with a glow of pride, for the League of Nations was made by President Wilson. In a war-sick age it was conceived by him “to be tho fair beginning of a time." And the success of Mr Harding’s party at tho recent Presidential election was a success for the reaction of a majority of the American people against Wilson and all his works. If the League is now dead, as Mr Harding believes, it is America’s desertion that has killed it. His country-

men hare killed Mr Wilson, to all intents

and purposes. The penalty for a grievous sin, that of being something of an autocrat as well as an idealist, would be incomplete if his chief work, however needed by the world, did not perish with him. It would probably be a source of much joy to many Americans, triumphant enemies of the late President, in their present mood to believe that the League of Nations is really dead. Threatened men live long, however, and it may be so with threatened institutions. The League has suffered in the absence of America’s sympathy and support. It was recognised by earnest workers for it that nothing could do it so much injury as the aloofness and hostility of the parent nation, whoso moral influence was the greatest in the world till the reaction of Americans changed all that, and whose economic power is still the greatest. Yet the League could show a record of good work performed in one year since its establishment when the first meeting of its Assembly was held in December; and the general opinion of its delegates and of onlookers when that conference ended was that, despite the disadvantage of America’s non-participation, the world was something more than “ half a league onward." Senator Millen, of Australia, was disappointed with it, and Mr W. M. Hughes has cited as evidence of its present impotence the Russo-Polish war, when “not one sword was sheathed." It has been pointed out, however, that the League was never expected to end wars which virtually had begun before it was born. If it makes wars less frequent in the future the world will have reason to be thankful, and it is too soon for anyone to say yet that that service will not be accomplished. It is not the League's sickness so much as that of the United States for which the world has reason to grieve to-day. Political rancor, which makes every work of “ Wikonism ’’ something to be destroyed by bis opponents, and disillusionment with the slow advent of a heaven on earth, ending in the cynical materialism for which she was accustomed to reproach' the “ degenerate’’ Old World, have caused her to cut a poor figure since the war ended. For a time it seemed that the Covenant might be signed with reservations, but the Message of the new President shows that his Government will have none of it at all. The Message emphasises at once America's “rights under the Treaty”— which she will not sign—and the " freedom from inadvisable commitments" which is not less important to the United States. The attitude of America towards mandates has been equally one-sided. She would not accept a mandate for Armenia, and in a short time there will bo no Armenian people if Turks and Bolsheviks are to be left free to work their own sweet will. Great Britain took the mandate for Mesopotamia ; and the task of keeping order there has been costing her fifty million pounds a year, while the terms of her trusteeship require that the commercial advantages of her occupation shall be shared equally with the nations that paynothing. But in Mesopotamia some Brit'sh and French companies possess oil rights which they obtained from the Turkish Government before the present system was established, and the preservation, of those rights has formed a grievance of the United States, which controls within its own borders only 70 per cent, of the total oil supplies of the world. The nation which put world peace first among its objects only two years ago is prepared now, Mr Harding states, to “co-opcrato with other nations in approximate disarmament ’’; but its naval programme, something more concrete than vague promises, sets an example of the worst kind to all others. Only in its attitude towards the German reparations has the new Government pronounced a policy in which something greater than self-interest can be found. It has insisted that Germany must admit her moral 'responsibility for the war, doing justice to the countries which she injured, and that attitude has the more of virtue since, directly at least, America will gain little by the payment of the debt for reparations. The injuries which she suffered during the short Lime that she was a belligerent were of the smallest. She reaped only advantages from the war.

Apart from this one stand for general principles the record of the United States since the war ended has been a disappointment to the world. It has not been one, wo can imagine, on which future Americans will look back with any pride. Humanity lies sick by the roadway, and America passes by on the other side. The motto of President Harding’s Government, in its reaction against every kind of “ Wilsonism,” is less like “ the world for democracy” than “ourselves alone.” Something must be allowed for the difficulties of a governing party which, having obtained office after a year of confused contention, hardly knows yet its own policy, and is concerned most to get out of difficulties by the shortest way. But reaction from too much idealism has produced a bad phase of excessive self-absorption in the United Slates, which the best Americans, there is reason to believe, already deplore as much as those beyond the borders of the greatest republic who must suffer by it. Reaction is followed always by counter-reaction. The phase will pass. It is too soon yet even to say that America will never bo a member of the League of Nations.

At last night’s meeting of the Hospital Board Dr Kewlands emphasised the desirability of all sections of the community being represented on the board, and expressed his disapproval of a preponderance of any class or profession occupying seats.

The escapee from Mount Eden Prison (Auckland) is George Vincent Keys. Mince his escape from the quarry gang on Saturday he has been seen only once—-on Tuesday—when a warder came into contact with him at Titirangi, and was put hors do. combat by a kick in the body. Keys has since evaded his pursuers in the thick scrub, and there is a feeling that, nnder cqver of darkness last night, he slipped through the cordon. The general manager of the New Zealand Farmers’ Co-operative Association, referring to a rumor that the association was calling up its uncalled capital (amounting to £42l),000) stated that there was no foundation for the rumor. He had heard of people who had sold their shares at a sacrifice on the strength of this irresponsible rumor.— Christchurch correspondent. .

At a meeting of the Canterbury Repatriation Board of Employment the report showed that the number on the unemployed roll was steadily increasing, and the prospects for the winter were not considered promising. A surprising fact was that there were still a fairly large number wjja could only do light work, which at the present time was practically unprocurable. Human remains, quite unidentifiable, are reported to have been washed ashore at Colao Bay in the vicinity of where the two fishermen Cook and Heriot were supposed to have been drowned a week or two ago. The plaintiff in a compensation case heard by the Arbitration Court at Christchurch on Wednesday was, according to the evidence, a veritable Samson. Ho was of amazing physique, according to one doctor, and had actually lifted a draught horse. He had also lifted a railway truck back on the rails when it ran off. He weighed 18st 81b. ;

I Mr Paulin’s forecast, communicated at ' 1.30 p.m.: Strong N.E. to N.W. winds, and line for twenty-four hours; barometer falling further. The secretary of the Hospital Board brought under the notice of members last evening that provision would require to be made in the estimates for the increases in the salaries of the nursing staff authorised to come into force as from December 1 last, and also for the increase of staff caused by the proposal of the six-day week, to bo brought in from August 1 next. The sum of £3,004 4s would bo involved thereby. .

Dr E. Boxer, president of the N.Z.K.S.A., has invited Eord Jellicoe, the GovernorGeneral, to visit Hastings for Anzac Day. The Hawko’s Bay Jockey Club has also invited Lord Jollicoo to bo present at the Cup Sleeting. The Public Health Department is at present engaged in pulling down one of the main military hospital buildings at Featherston, with the object of having it re-erected on the military sanatoria grounds in Hawke’s Bay. The building, when completed, will be occupied) by civilian tubercular cases, and the sanatorium at Cambridge will then be closed. A striking example of the grit that made New Zealand what it is was seen on one of the Northern Company’s steamers a few days ago (says the Auckland ‘ Herald ’). It was a settler who, was making his way to Mangonui with his ■ horse,"cart, and other impedimenta, with the intention of making a start m the breaking in of a new bush country farm, despite his ago of well over seventy summers.

The frost last night and the fine weather this morning is regarded by the fishermen as the forerunner of settled weather. Gales eueh as wo have experienced recently usually occur at this season of the year, and continue until frosty mights come along and act as a soot-lung influence. These frosty nights have evidently now come, and the succeeding period of sunny days unblemished by boisterous gales will bo welcomed. “The Crown has no right to stagemanage a criminal prosecution,” said Mr M. Myers in the Supreme Court at Wellington on Tuesday, in the course of his address in the application for a new trial in the case of a man who is at present serving seven years’ imprisonment. Mr Myers contended that the appearance of “the girl in the case,” who had worn a rather “risque” dress during the Police Court hearing of the case, had been attired, by order of the police, as a “ Puritan maid ” when the case came up for hearing in the Supreme Court. Mr Myers considered that the police —the prosecutors—had no right to employ such “stagemanaging” tactics in a criminal case.

Watson’s No. 10 is a little dearer than most whiskies, but is worth the money.— [Advt.] Use the Brandy your men enjoyed in Fran cc—Mar t ell’s .—[Ad v t.] Mr Alex. M'Leod, merchant tailor, has removed to larger premises, 30 Octagon (upstairs), next to Barton and Trengrove’s.— [Advt.] r Here’s a,paradox: Watson's No. 10 is A 1 whisky.—[Advt.] Housewives of cheerful voice and sunny countenance arc very plentiful throughout New Zealand now, thanks to “Keep Smiling” Floor Polish. Mackerras and Hazlctt, Ltd., wholesale agents for ‘‘ Keep Smiling ” Floor Polish.—[Advt.] TJso the Brandy your men enjoyed in France—Martell’*. —[Advt.] Tennis Players.—Splendid racKets, 10s 6d, 16s 6d, 255, 355; presses, 5s 6d. Todd’s Arcade 155 George street. —[Advt.]