Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-03-21
SHORT CUT TO DISARMAMENT.
Appeal From Oklahoma With the
Right Sentiment.

The world is sick and weary of war
and - preparation for war, aside from
the mere material burdens which it
imposes upon mankind. Peace con-
( crosses arr convened from time To
time ana peace tribunals and arbitra-
ton agreements have been formed.
/ Vet the greatest nations of the earth
! have always gone right on building
greater and more powerful battleships.
The subject Of international dsarma-
, nent has been seriously discussed ne
Intervals. but the answer % these ma.
TONS has ever been more and larger
drSadnnughtS and Superdreadnoughts.
; Admittedly, this gigantic folly OF the
nations Of men must end some time,
but how and when and where"
There is one way by which the nav
al disarmament of nations might be
speedily brought to pass and thus open
the way for Worldwide peace, and il
would not call for a sacrifice of dig
nifty or security on the rart of sin
gle one of the nations entering into
an agreement to formulate and carry
ont such a plan. Briefly, il would be
as follows:
Let France, Germany. Great Britain
and the United States. as representa-
ti"eS of the most enlightened nations
on Garth, jointly agree to pool their
respective navies under the adminisI
tTative control of an international
naval commission.
Let this international navy be care
fully reorganized on the lines of ef-
ftctency and all supertuous craft be
relcG1ted To the scrap heap.
Let each OF the nations signatory TO
such an agreement covenant with the
| others To do its proportionate part in
the maintenance and manning of such
an International navy.
Then, let the signatory nations join
| in proclamation addressed Ia the
other nations Of the world, saying in
substance:
You need build no more battle
ships, for @c propose not only TO keel.
tie peace a. between ourselves but al
50 t. see that there shall be no more
w2rf II" On the high seas between
other nations. by the terms of our
compact. Tia" International navy is
not 10 be and cannot be used for the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of any of the nations
which are parties thereto and which
are jointly supporting and maintain
| ing il. It's functions are to be largely
those Of policing the seas of the world
unless il hc forced To intervene in the
interest of ro ace between other na-
! items. Tie active or moral co-opera-
( ton of other nations in the manten-
ance of this International navy will
| be welcomed but the continued i'll
crease Of naval armament by nations
not becoming thus allied will be re-
gardcd as distinctly unfriendly to the
establishment of world wide peace"
OF course there will not be wanting
those who will brand such proposed
plan as visionary and impracticable.
And vet, is it any moro so than was
the organization of an army of the
| allied troops of these and other ma
lions to march inland to Pekn at the
time of the boxer uprising? There
would then be no need for the dupli-
cation of fleets in the ports or waters
of any part of the world. The size and
strength of the individual navies of TIE
same nations at the present time,
hence the cost of maintenance and the
drain in men and money which is en-
tailed by the present ornaments would
be materially reduced. The race for
tho naval supremacy of the individual
nation having thus been ended, the
wealth which is now being wasted in
naval construction and maintenance
could and would be largely diverted
into more useful channels Of activity.
Indeed the arguments in favor of ssich
plan If naval union might be multi
piled. Many objections might be
raised. but it is safe to assume that
no difficulties in the working out OF
tho details of such plan would prove
to be impossible of solution by a
competent international naval COM
mission. Oklahoman.