Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1916-09-08
PEACE PROVISION IN
WILSON'S NAVAL BILL
PRESIDENT MAY STOP WARSHIP
CONSTRUCTION If NATIONS
FAVOR WORLDWIDE PEACE.

When the senate and house came
together and agreed upon President
Wilson's navy appropriation bill a
thrill of patriotism went round the
country.
A noteworthy provision of this
universally approved measure, but
one that has ben generally over
looked, lies in that paragraph which
empowers the president to suspend
construction of this colossal navy if
an international agreement limiting
ornaments can be effected at the
close of the present war.
So, after all, this bill for national
preparedness makes for peace.
In the momentary impulse of pa
trotism caused by this long step
toward defense it may have been
overlooked by many that the navy
appropriation bill, while undergoing
the changes made in conference, had
a good strong olive branch tackled on
it, and while it will put this country
in a position, as Admiral Dewey has
said, to stand up before any sea
power on the globe, it carries, too, a
specific provision for the preserva-
ton of worldwide peace.
The text of these provisions reveals
the plan of the administration to
work for international disarmament
and also shows that big economies
might even be effected in the appro-
priations of 1916. The new para
graph reads as follows:
Disarmament Provisions.
Upon the conclusion of the war in
Europe, or as soon as it may be done,
the president Of the United States is
governments of the world to send
representatives to conference which
shall be charged with the duty of sug-
gesting an organization, a court Of
arbitration or other body, to which
disputed questions between nations
shall be referred for adjudication and
peaceful settlement and to consider
the question of disarmament and sub
NIT their recommendations to their
respective governments for approval.
The president is hereby authorized
to appoint nine citizens of the United
States who in his judgment shall be
qualified for such duty to be repre-
sentatives of the United States in
such conference. The
president is authorized to fix the COM
pensation of the commissioners. ="
A Bum Of 100000 is appropriated to
carry into effect this provision. = I"
"If at any time before the appro-
priations authorized by this act shall
have been contracted for there shall
have been established, with the coop
Grafton Of the United States of Amer
lea, an International tribunal or tri-
bunals, competent to secure peaceful
determination of all international dis
putes, and which shall render unnec-
essary the maintenance of competitive
ornaments, then and in that case
such naval expenditures as may be
inconsistent with engagements made
in the establishment Of such tribunal
or tribunals may be suspended when
so ordered by the president OF the
United States"
May Never Spend Money.
This naval appropriation bill may
not only be the last of such size ever
to be passed for armament, but It is
entirely possible, as may be seen from
the above quoted paragraphs. that
much of the money authorized for
naval construction may never DC
spent at all.
The administration is working
around to the idea of league to
enforce peace. as intimated in one OF
the speeches of the president las'
spring. The United States would DC
willing to put its bulk Of force in the
arch that would support the peace OF
the world. Such an arrangement
however, must take into consideration
the Limitation Immediately of naval
ornaments since this is the mos'
costly item of all. And the Washing
ton government is preparing to move
decisively toward that end as soon al
the European war is over.
D;oho,.a D,,,oo1l 6lod c,,it this week