Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-12-24
League of Nations Recommends
Limitation of Armaments
by Mutual Agreement.
COURT OF JUSTICE ADOPTED
Obligatory Clause, However, Is Omit
ted-Austria and Bulgaria Admit
ted to League-Progress Of
Efforts for an Irish
Settlement.
BY EDWARD w. PIckARD.


If, as George Nicoll Barnes of Eng
land asserts, disarmament is the real
acid test of the success of the League
of Nations, the league cannot yet be
said to be wholly successful. The as
Sembly at Geneva last week received
the report of the disarmament COM
mittee, and though it proved to be
rather fiabby production, it was adopt
ed. The limitations clause was amend
ed so that it was merely a recon-
mendation that limitation of arna-
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
tons voted against the limitation
clause. These were France, GrAece, 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.
German, there was also signed a
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 expert
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 its 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 d1sarm-
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 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 it's
policy for many years. The British
program is halted just now by DIS
pute 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. 1t is convinced that
battleships remain pre-eminent fac