The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-04-07
,1IEAsT 1T Is so cLAsSED BY
CHANCELLOR OF GERMAN
EMPIRE.
out Won Bethmann-HolIweg Says No
Standard for Limitation Of Arma-
nent Can Be Reached and New
Issues Destroy Asreements-Many
Prominent Germans Hold Contrary
View.

Berlin, April l.-DlScuSSlnS IN the
Reichstag the proposed extension of
International arbitration, Chancellor
Won Bethmann-Hollweg classed uni
versal arbitration and universal dis
armament as ideals impossible of real
izatiOn.
THE nations, including Germany
said the Chancellor, have been talk
ing disarmament since the first Hague
conference, but neither in Germany
nor elsewhere has a practical plan
been proposed Great Britain wishes
the limitation of ornaments, but
simultaneously wants superior or an
equal fleet. Any conference on this
subject is bound to be fruitless No
standard for limitation can be found,
and any conceivable proposal would
be shattered on the question of con-
troll"
How Prussia Limited"
Won Bethmann-Hollweg instanced
Napoleon's limitation of the Prussian
army when Prussia, adhering to the
letter of her treaty, trained a four
fold army by shortening the period of
training. Germany was willing, he
said, to accept the English proposal
for an exchange of information re-
garding navy building programs. He
accepted the idea of arbitration in
principle, but universal arbitration
was as impossible of accomplishment
as universal disarmament. BY this
principle two nations like the United
States and Great Britain could seal
the de facto status, but if new ques-
tons arise, arbitration might prove
inadequate.
The Chancellor's speech, which was
along the line of his earlier utterance,
was made in the discussion of reso-
lutions offered by socialists and radi-
calls asking for an extension of inter-
national arbitration and the limitation
of ornaments. These resolutions came
before the house at the opening of
the customary debate on foreign af-
fairs in connection with the Chan
cellor's budget. The Chancellor de-
ferred his remarks until the repre-
sentatives of the leading parties had
been heard
America Is Discussed.
Count Won Kanitz, Conservative, de-
voted the greater part of his speech
to American affairs, contrasting the
speech of Commander William H.
Sims of the American navy, at the
Guild Hall, London, which called forth
reprimand from President Taft, with
the utterances of Congressman Champ
Clark concerning the annexation of
Canada, saying:
While an American naval officer
is assuring England of the friendship
OF the United States. future Presi-
dent of that nation is talking of the
absorption of Canada"
Canadian reciprocity, he said, raised
the point of what compensatory favors
were to be had by Germany. OF the
proposed Anglo-American arbitration
treaty, the speaker declared that the
plan promised little if questions like
the Monroe doctrine were excluded.
Center Party for Arbitration.
Dr. Spain, vice-president and leader
OF the Center party, said he favored
more arbitration treaties, and his
party sympathized with the movement
OF disarmament.
Ernest Basserman, National Liberal
IN common with the other speakers
welcomed the principle of arbitration
and disarmament, but doubted its
practicability.