Evening star., 1921-09-04

diplomats with the same old deck of
greasy cards will sit down at the
table. Expressions of opinions
like these are calculated meas
urably to forestall the delibera-
tions of the conference, to open 1t
in thunderstorm. The American
people have desired this confer
ence with all their hearts. If
they thought that no new light had
been shed upon diplomacy by the
flames OF the great war, IL they
believed that this conference was
to be another nineteenth century
affair. II they thought that the
shrewdest card shark was to win
the game. if they believed that
there was no genuineness in the
desire of the great powers to pro-
mote peace, limit armament and
reconstruct the world. they would
have said to President Harding,
Don't bother about this thing.
No good will come of 1T. All the
nations Of the world are self-cen-
tered. dishonest; they are only
abiding an opportune time to con-
quer each other"
X + + r
II such had been their thoughts
and belief the American people
would have kept coldly silent
upon the subject OF armament and
would have met patiently the ex-
penses of getting ready for the
next war. But optimism and faith
abounded. We warmly supported
President Harding in his call for
the conference. We cared not the
slightest what we thought in the
past was the way best to go
about the accomplishment Of this
purpose. This was the only way
that now led toward the fulfill
ment of our hopes. Having joy
fully accepted 1t, are we going to
put In our time in discussing the
thousand and one ways in which it
is likely to be failure and there
by create such an atmosphere as
must inevitably result in failure?
If there are no honest men in the
seats of the mighty impressed
with the absolute certainty of
world bankruptcy and the destruc-
ton of all civilization unless the
expenses of getting ready for war.
waging war and of compensating
the losses of war are lessened.
then the world is in a sorry state
indeed For myself do not ques-
ton the attitude of the men who
control the destinies of the great
nations of the world. The late war
may not have disclosed clean
heart, but it's conclusion revealed
a cleaned pocketbook. No one Is
going to sit down at the table in
Washington who does not know
that something must be done or
that something worse than any
thing vet will happen. The rep
resentatives of any nation cannot
be measureably certain that this
something may not happen to
their people. Our country is in
better shape to continue old war
programs than any other nation
on earth. If we desire Limitation
of armament why should we sus-
pect that nations worse of flnan-
cially than ourselves are not COM
ing honestly to this conference?
- X X
Let us at least get this into our
heads: That conditions are almost
as bad as they possibly can be, and
that nothing that the conference
may do can make them worse. Let
us inject into the atmosphere sur
rounding the conference our be-
lief that the men chosen by the
President to represent America are
honest men, sincerely desirous of
accomplishing justly the objects
of the meeting. Let us not cast
discredit upon them in the eyes of
foreign nations by criticism of
their character. ability or purpose.
Let the world know that America
is entering this conference with
clean hands, pure hearts and lips
that speak no guile.
The open or closed session is
really of moment only as it may
affect our relations with other ma
tions. The result of the confer
ence can be put into effect only
by the Congress of the United
States and before the Congress
acts. it will of right request full
Information not only as to what
was done, but as to facts and
arguments upon which conclusions
were based.
4 4 + \
The great master and teacher of
mankind put it upon record for
our instruction.: Except we be-
come as little children ye cannot
enter into the kingdom of heaven" A"
We preach, we pray for world
democracy. May reverently para
phrase the Scriptures: Except ye
become as little children ye can
not enter into the kingdom of
democracy" A great step is about
to be attempted toward entering
into that kingdom. Let US have q
childlike faith and confidence that
we shall enter in-well assured
that our Congress will see to 1t
that we have entered in and not
been taken in.
(CopyriRht, 1921, by Thomas r. Marshall, J