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Show NEWS REVIEW OF CURRENT EVENTS Harding's International Policy Seems to Please All. the Republican Groups. OUR RIGHTS SAFEGUARDED Modified Knox Peace Resolution Introduced In-troduced Democrats Fight Emergency Emer-gency Tariff Bill Colombian Treaty Before Uie Senate Strike of the British Miners is Ended. By EDWARD W. PICKARD. President Harding, In his program for International relations as set forth in his message to congress, has accomplished ac-complished the remarkable feat of-satisfying of-satisfying all factions In his party, if the expressions of leaders in Washington Washing-ton are to be taken as representing the opinions of the people. The forecast fore-cast of this program, made a week ago,' was not far astray. It contains, however, a plan for the acceptance of such terms of the Versailles treaty as confirm America's rights and interests inter-ests ; in other words, the ratification of the treaty with such reservations and modifications as will completely cut out the League of Nations covenant cove-nant and secure "our absolute freedom" free-dom" from entanglement In purely European affairs. Just how the covenant, cove-nant, so closely interwoven into the fabric of the treaty, can be eliminated, is not yet apparent. In Washington It is said a delegation might be sent to Europe, or a conference of the allies al-lies called in our national capital. It Is also suggested that It may be necessary nec-essary to draw up a new treaty or treaties to be signed by the United States, the allies and Germany. Any negotiations to this end, however, how-ever, are to await reconsideration by the allies of their award of the Island of Yap to Japan and their formal acknowledgment ac-knowledgment of America's rights in the disposition of all the territories taken away from the central powers. At first France replied to Secretary Hughes' note on Yap by a suggestion that the question be settled by the United States and Japan, and it is believed Great Britain will propose the same course, offering Its good offices of-fices In behalf of the American claims. Japan wants the controversy to be Included In-cluded In the general negotiations to settle all matters at issue between this country and Japan. Neither of these suggestions is acceptable to the administration, and neither will be considered. Mr. Hughes' position is hat the Yap affair concerns the allies al-lies jointly and must be settled by them jointly In negotiations with the United States. As was foreseen, the President said he favored the adoption of the Knox resolution ending the state of war, but with modifications. Accordingly it was Introduced in the senate at once with changes to suit, and plans were made to push It through as soon as the Colombian treaty Is disposed of. As It stands, the resolution carefully reserves all American rights acquired by the war, the armistice and the Versailles Ver-sailles treaty, but there Is no provision pro-vision for the negotiation of a separate separ-ate peace treaty with Germany. The Instrument also declares the state of war with Austria ended, but no one here thinks much about Austria these days, except in pity for Its starving poor. Early comment In France on the President's message indicated that the French were trying to rind It satisfactory. satis-factory. They expected the flat rejection re-jection of the league covenant, and many of them are not wildly enthusiastic enthu-siastic over the league, anyhow. They are elated by the expressed determination determina-tion that America shall stand with the allies in holding Germany responsible for the war and In compelling her to make reparation to the extent of her ability. They still hope that America Ameri-ca will specifically promise aid to France in case of German aggression or of Germany's failure to pay. The British are so occupied with their great strike that they have not had much to say about the message up lo the time of writing. An Interesting bit of comment conies from Buenos Aires, where a leading paper sees only self-interest in the future international policy of Ihe United States. "The egoistic Independent nationalism national-ism which Is proclaimed as the law of international activity by. the United States Is dominant in Mr. Harding's words," the newspaper declares. "Americanism and Monroeism, notions no-tions clear and concrete, which have had their rise and fall since 1824, reappear re-appear with more vigor than ever In the directing thought of the United States." Concerning domestic matters, which he declared of prime Importance, Mr. Harding said nothing unexpected, expressing ex-pressing what leaders of his party called "sound Republican doctrines." He especially urged speedy relief for the ex-service men and the passage of an emergency tariff bill. The latter is already before congress, con-gress, the ways and means committee of the house having reported out a combination measure including the farmers' tariff bill which Mr. Wilson vetoed, an anti-dumping bill and a new provision for the regulation of foreign exchange. The Democrats of the house speedily organized their opposition op-position to the measure under their lender, ' Representative Kitchin of North Carolina. Mr. Kitchin charged that the bill Is not in the interest of the farmers of the country, "but Is really for the purpose of swelling the already swollen fortunes of the trusts and speculators." He declared that It gives "to the packers' trust, the sugar trust and the woolen trust the right and privilege to take from the American people the enormous sum of over $775,000,000, increasing to that extent the present high cost of living." liv-ing." Allusion Is made above to the Colombian Col-ombian treaty. This was the first thing the senate tackled, and a fight developed at once. The pact Is the old one giving to Colombia $25,000,000 for the loss of Panama and the Canal Zone. It has always been bitterly opposed op-posed as a virtual repudiation of the acts of Theodore Roosevelt when he was President, but now it has been modified by the omission of any expression ex-pression of the government's regret for the part played by the United States in connection with the separation separa-tion of Panama from Colombia. President Pres-ident Harding has told the senate he hopes It will ratify the treaty, and it probably will do so. Senator Lodge led the debate iu favor of the pact, and revealed one of the strong reasons rea-sons for Its adoption the existence of rich oil fields In Colombia which Americans wish to develop. Senator Kellogg of Minnesota said the ratification of the treaty would be a pusillanimous act, and on the strength of a telegram and letters from Colonel Roosevelt, written In 1017, he declared it would make the United States liable to international blackmail running Into hundreds of millions of dollars. The telegram sa i d : "I know, of course, that you are against this infamous Colombian treaty, but I wish you would point out that it makes precedent for some successor of Wilson to pay at least as large a sum apiece to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Haiti and Santo Domingo for what has been done to them recently, re-cently, and also to Chile for our insolent in-solent and improper treatment of her in connection with the Alsop claim." President Harding nas approved a new list of brigadier generals to be raised to major generals, and Clarence R. Edwards, whom President Wilson omitted from his list and who commanded com-manded the New England National Guard . division in France, comes first of all. Among the others are Generals Haan, Bell, Allen and Menoher. A number of colonels are recommended for promotion to brigadiers. Germany will refuse to accept the Indemnity figures of the allies when they are presented on May 1, accord ing to Dr. Julius Ruppel, chief of the German financial delegation in Paris. He says the time allowed is altogether too short for estimating the total liabilities for reparations, and that the German experts have been forced to rely on written statements that are neither accurate nor adequate. A Paris journal asserts that the sum to be demanded by the allies will be between be-tween 30 and 38 billions of dollars, and that when Germany refuses to accept the figures two classes of French reserves will be called to the colors and the Ruhr basin occupied. In that region are the most Important Industrial plants and the largest coal mines of western Germany. Once more Premier Lloyd George has been able, by super-juggling, to avert economic disaster from Great Britain. The strike of the miners' federation, which threatened to involve nearly all the organized labor of the United Kingdom, was called off by the federation Friday evening. Just how this result was brought about Is not known at this writing, but apparently it was due primarily to the action of the railway men and transport workers. work-ers. These are the other two elements ele-ments In the "triple alliance" and, having been called on for support by the miners, they had decided to quit work Friday night. But Mr. Lloyd George and other Indefatigable persons per-sons worked on them to change their minds, and six hours before the hour set for striking they announced that they would not strike. The triple alliance al-liance was thus split, and the miners min-ers must have seen that their cause was hopeles's. Another reason for the change of attitude by the miners is seen in the evident intention of a large number of members of the house of commons to see that justice Is done the workers work-ers in the matter of wages. After they had heard from the premier that the miners refused to reopen negotiations, negotia-tions, they themselves conducted an inquiry into the matter. Presumably the plan for regulation of wages on a national basis, accepted by the government some time ago, will be put into effect. The national pooling pool-ing of profits, also demanded by the miners, was declared Impossible by the government. An Important step toward the revival re-vival of industry in America was made last week when the United States Steel corporation announced a new price list showing lower prices for steel. The cut ranges from $1.50 to $9 a ton, and the price of tin plate also was reduced $15 a ton. The decreases de-creases are confined to certain products prod-ucts and, according to builders and architects, are not In themselves sufficient suf-ficient to revive the building industry; but the cut does remove uncertainty and establish a general stabilized price level for steel and experts in the trade say it should stimulate industry. The first concrete result was the announcement announce-ment by the International Harvester company of a straight 10 per cent reduction re-duction on its products in which steel is the principal raw product used. Secretary of Labor Davis in an address ad-dress in Chicago made his first public statement of his attitude toward labor la-bor and capital. He called for a fair deal for capital, a decent living wage for labor, larger profits for farmers through lower rail-shipping rates, and the settlement of all industrial disputes dis-putes through conferences between employees. He warned labor that if it is to take a share in the policies of the nation it also must share the national na-tional responsibilities, declaring it was up to labor to see that tra..sport t ion conditions were such that the farmer could make a fair profit. The federal railway labor board has Issued an order that clears up the transportation situation, or should do so speedily. Briefly, It terminates the national working agreements on July 1 ; meanwhile conferences between the carriers and the workers are ordered, to settle the controversies over working work-ing rules as far as possible; on July 1, the board will promulgate "Just and reasonable" rules for classes of employees em-ployees regarding whom rules have not been reached by agreement. Both sides are irfid to act as quickly bb possibla I |