Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1920-12-24
LEAGUE of Nations Recommends
Limitation of ArmamentS
by Mutual Agreement.
COURT OF JUSTICE ADOPTED
Obligatory Clause, However, Is Omit
t.d-Austria and Bulgaria Admit
ted to League-Progress OF
Efforts for an irish
Settlement.
By EDWARD w. PlCKARD.

If, as George Nicoll Barnes of Eng
land asserts, disarmament is the real
acid test of the success of the League
of NatiOnA, the league cannot yet be
said to be wholly successful The as
sembly at tfeneva last week received
the report of the disarmament conf
mittee, ard though it proved to be
rather f15bby production, it was adopt
ed. The limitations clause was amend
ed so that it was merely a recon-
mendation that limitation of arma-
ments be established for the next two
years through mutual agreement
among the powers. With respect TO
this France made the reservation that
she was obliged to restore her arma-
ments that had been worn out by the
war, and Belgium and Spain made
similar reservations. Then seven ma
lions voted against the limitation
clause. These were France, Greece, Po-
land, Roumania, Brazil, Chile and
Uruguay.
The committee explained that,
though it was in favor of the speed
lest possible disarmament it was
forced to the conclusion that this
could not yet be accomplished. "There
are countries with the most powerful
armament building facilities outside
| the league" said Delegate Fisher,
"and disarmament can begin only
| when it is universal" When the Aus
| trian peace treaty was signed at ST
| Germain, there was also signed
| convention for the control of the traf-
! fic in arms and ammunition, but this
| has not been ratified and no steps
| have been taken to make it effective.
The committee suggested that the
council urge the signatOrieS to ratify
the treaty at once, though there Will
| be no authority to control the export
| of arms from the United States.
So far as navy building goes, Sena-
|, tor Borah, one of the ''irreconcila-
! bles," has a plan whereby the United
| States can join in it's reduction. He
| has introduced In the senate reso!u-
ton requesting the President to pro-
pose to Great Britain and Japan an
| agreement with the United States for
| the curtailment of navy building by
| the three powers, the program of each
| of them to be reduced annually dur
| ing the next five years so per cent OF
| the present estimates or figures. In
| the preamble it is pointed out that the
| Japanese government has declared to
| the world that it could not consent
| even to consider a program of disarnr-
| ament on account of the building pro-
| gram of the United States. 'By this
| statement" the resolution continues
"the world is informed and expected
to believe that Japan sincerely desires
| to support a program of disarmament,
/ but cannot do so in safety to herself
| on account of the attitude and build
| ing program of this government"
/ An indication of the possible atti-
| tude of Great Britain in this matter
is found in the report that the cabinet
| has decided that it is impossible for
| the nation longer to maintain the two
power standard which has been its
| policy for many years. The British
| program is halted just now by d-s-
quite as to the relative value of capital
| ships. and submarines and airplanes.
The general board of the American
navy is not at present in accord with
any of the plans for reduction, for it
/, still urges on congress the need of
| a ''navy second to none, as recon-
mended in 1915. It is convinced that
! sattIeships remain pre-eminent fac