Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-03-01
Tho Fork in the Road

The Fork in the Road
CRITICS of the league of nations plan in
~ the Senate have laid stress on the pro-
VISIONS OF the proposed constitution of the
league which attempt to fix method by
which ornaments of the various member
lions may be reduced. Senator Reed and
others have cried out against this a most
serious invasion of our sovereignty. Its ef-
feet, they say. is to rob us of our sacred
right to say how large our army and navy
shall be and upon what basis they shall be
organized. Relating TO this question Of
maments. Article VIII. of the proposed league
constitution says
THE high contracting parties recognize the
principle that the maintenance of peace will
require the reduction of ornaments to the
lowest point consistent with national safety
and the enforcement by common action OF
international obligations, having special
regard to the geographical situation and
circumstances of each state. and the
executive council shall formulate plans
for effecting such reduction. The cxecu-
tive council shall also determine for the
consideration and action Of the several gov
ernments what military equipment and arma-
ment is fair and reasonable in proportion to
the scale of forces laid down in the program
OF disarmament: and these limits. when
adopted, shall not be exceeded without the
permission of the executive council"
According to Senator Reed. the United
States. by subscribing to this provision, would
be delivering itself hand and foot to the
executive council There are two ways, and
only two, open to the United States and to
other nations of the world on this question
OF national ornaments. Either each nation
can paddle its own canoe" and decide for
fcn1f ,,-In
into compact with all other nations looking
to limitation of ornaments. We have al
ready seen what competition in national ar
maments can lead to. When Germany, through
its Kaiser, proclaimed it's intention of build
ing navy in competition with that OF Great
Britain. the British people were given their
hrst warning of Germany's purpose to at
tempt to wrest control OF the seas from Eng
land. Then and there started competi-
ton in naval ornaments that extended not
only to Great Britain and to Germany but
to France. Russia, Japan and the United
States, until all the world was beginning to
groan with the burden of it, and until the
Kaiser, eager to vindicate his militaristic
ideas, thought the time was ripe to use some
of the bright and shining weapons he had
accumulated.
Shall this competition be resumed? Sec
rotary Of the Navy Daniels already has de-
clared that unless there is to be an agree
ment to limit ornaments. the United States
per1orce must have the greatest navy in the
world. Tacitly. George Bernard Shaw says,
England has accepted the implied challenge
and if the league plan falls through. will
undertake to see that neither America nor
any other nation takes the naval lead from
her. Shall this country venture upon this
mad competition? Can it lead to anything
save an inevitable clash between two ma
tions that without question now stand shout
ders above all others in leadership?
Reason says that such a course would he
foolhardy. Common sense urges that there
be some arrangement among the nations 10
limit this business Of burdenng the people
of the world, already laden down with the
costs OF one mighty conflict produced by mil
itarism, with the preparations for another.
From the very outset of this war the thought
OF men everywhere among civilized nations
has been that such thing should not occur
again.
Yet any kind Of an agreement as to lin
itation of ornaments is 10 an extent a sur
render of sovereignty. If Nation a and Ma
ton say that henceforth they shall limit
and reduce their ornaments both surrender
thereupon the right to decide independently
how large its armament shall be- If more
nations enter the covenant, each additional
one surrcnders by that extent its supreme
will on the question of its armament And
wha. more sensible, if it is proposed that
all the nations of the world shall Join than
there should be a board representing all of
them, to supervise the limitations? 1t must
be remembered that ultimately Germany.
with It's record OF faithessness, and Austria,
must be taken into the league. Could Amer
lea afford simply to declare for reduction
in ornaments and proceed to carry out its
part of the bargain. trusting Germany to
fulfill its promise?
The Deferred Extra Session
IN assuring Senator Martin. of Nirginia that