The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-11-17

or. failing that. she hopes for as little
limitation of her pretensions as possible.
France Angling For Italy
Third, France is an on-ooker in mat
tiers of naval armament, but her part is
none the less influential. Premier BRAND
has been maneuvering to draw Italy to
his side but while the latter is willing
to give France support on some points,
the truth is Italy is watching the United
States and will follow Secretary Hughes
more than Premier BRAND. France is in
teFested not i'm reducing land ornaments
but in placing emphatically before tie
world her case against Germany on rep
arations and national security. After
three years of speech making the French
realize they have not made a convincing
impression upon other countries as to
their need for large standing army. Pre-
mier BRAND is preparing master stroke.
He will soon offer to give up the expense
of that army If guarantees of national
safety are given France and IL the powers
including the United States will somehow
underwrite the payment by Germany of
her debts. If such a move leads to
discussion informally of war debts as g
whole, Great Britain will be found be-
side France urging world reimbursement
of war debts either through a special in
ternational conference or through an
agreement to be reached at Washington.
China's Large Desires
Fourth. China is preparing for great
battle. She will ask for more than she
probably will get She wants the world
TO make new and practical professions
guaranteeing her territorial integrity
and political independence. She wants
| the powers to give back some Of the rights
they now have. She wants, if possible,
! the right to regulate her own tariff. She
will fight to the last ditch to be protected
/ against japanese aggression Her time
/ hasn't come yet but her delegates will
make the fight of their lives at Washing
| ton, a fight that will transcend anything
they attempted ut Paris where China suf-
| fered defeat. So
| Fifth. the Netherlands. Portugal and
| Belgium are merely watching that their
rights in the Far East shall net be dimin-
| ished by any action or agreement, of the
Ilarger powers. Theirs is a role of ale1 t
observation but they viii unquestionably
| follow the great powers If an equitable
/ adjustment of Far Eastern matters as
reached.
Attitude of United States
! Sixth the attitude of the United States
| as made public by Secretary Hughes con
| Stitutes virtually all that America is Will
/ ing TO do on naval armament bHt the
| American naval experts may present even
/ further plans for reduction of armament
| expense and win at least not adopt an
obstructive attitude Backed oy the in
| striction Of President Harding and See
rotary Hughes, the naval experts of the
! United States viii 60 the limit in trying
| to cut down expense and ut the same time
maintain an effective navy for defense.
Already there are fears that the naval
experts of all nations in secret conference
will revise the Hughes program upward
and add, rather than subtract from it.
Until more meetings are held the truth of
this apprehension cannot be determined
but the tendency of the British and
American naval men at least is to hold
the program to the Hughes minimum.
One thing seems certain: While the Paris
conference wrote the death warrant Of
milftaries. the Washington conference
three years later is sealing the doom of
naYalism.