The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-11-13
HUGHES QEE;ERS
 U, e:ss'.s s'..s,JIIOSALS < 10 THE FARLEY
Says Armament Should Be First Subject Discussed at Conference-Extraordi-
 nary Opportunity
By Associated Press


 tary Hughes, in hls address today, ac- cepting the permanent chairmanship of the conferenc on limitation of ar maments, spoke as follows:
 In the public discussions which have preceded the conferences, there have been apparently two competing views; one, that the consideration of armament should await the result of the discussion of far eastern ques- tlons. and other that the latter dis cussion should De postponed until an agreement for limitation of arma- ment has been reached. I am unable to find sufficient reason for adopting either of these extreme views. think that 1t would be most unfortu- nate if we should disappoint the hopes which have attached to this meeting by a postponement of the consideration of the first subject.
 "The world looks to his conference to relieve humanity of the crushing burden created by competition in arr maments, and it is the view of the American government that we should meet that expectation without any unnecessary delay. It Is, therefore, proposed that the conference should proceed at once to consider the ques- tion of the limitation of armament.
 This, however, does not mean that we must postpone the examination of far eastern questions. The questions of vast importance press for solu tion. It is hoped that immediate pro vision may be made to deal with them adequately and it Is suggested that 1t may be found to be entirely prac ticable through the distribution of the work among designated commit tees to make progress to the ends sought to be achieved without either subject being treated as hindrance to the proper consideration and dis position of the other.
 No New Idea
 '''rhe proposal to limit armament by agreement of the powers is not new one, and we are admonished by the futility of earlier effort. It may be well to recall the noble aspira- tions which were voiced 23 years ago in the imperial rescript of his ma jesty the Emperor of Russia. It was then pointed out with cfarity and emphasis that the intellectual and physical strength of the nations, la
 
 part diverted from their natural ap- plication and unproductiveiy con sumed Hundreds of millions are de- voted to acquiring terrible engines of destruction which. though today regarded as the last word of science, are destined tomorrow to lose all value In consequence of some fresh discovery in the same field. National culture, economic progress and the production of wealth are either paralyzed or checked in their de- velopment. Moreover, in proportion as the armaments of each power in- crease, so do they less and less full fill the object which the government has set before themselves. The eco homie crisis due, in great part to the system of armaments, a Tout rance and the continual danger which lies in this massing of war materia: are transforming the armed peace of our days in crushing burden, which the peoples have more and more diff culty in bearing. It appears evident then. that if this state of things were prolonged it would inevitably lead to the calamity which 1t is desired to avert, and the horrors of which make every thinking man shudder in advance. To put an end to these in- cessant armaments and to seek the means of warding off the calamities which are threatening the whole worid-such is the supreme duty which is today imposed on all states The Hague Conferences
 It was with this sense of obIiea ton that his majesty the Emperor of Russia, proposed the conference, which was to occupy itself with this grave problem and which met at The Hague in the year 1889.
 Important as were the deiibera- tions and conclusions of that confer ence, especially with respect to the pacific settlement of international disputes, it's result in the specific matter of limitation of arm ament went no further than the adoption of a final resolution setting forth the opinion that the restriction of mili- tary changes. which are at present heavy burden on the world, is ex- trernely desirable for the increase of the material and moral welfare of mankind and the utterance of the wish that the governments may ex- , anime the possibility of an agree ment as to the limitation of armed forces by land and sea. and of war budgets
 Tt was seven years later that the Secretary of State of the United States. Mir Elihu Root In answering note of the Russian ambassador suggesting in outline a programme of the second peace conference. said:
 "'The government of the United States. therefore, feels it to be its duty to reserve for itself the liberty to propose to the second peace con ference as one of the subjects for consideration, the reduction or limi- tation of armaments, in the hope tha., If nothing furtder can be accom- i plished, some slight advance may be made toward the realization of the | lofty conception which actuated the Emperor of Russia in calling the first | conference.' 'F
 I Germany Opposed
 Tt is significant that the Imperial German government expressed itself as absolutely opposed to the ques- 1 ton or disarm mament- and that the | Emperor. of Germany threatened to decline to send delegates if the sub 1 ject of disarmament was to be dis cussed. In view, however. of the res- | olution which had been adopted at | the first The Hague conference the delegates of the United States were instructed that the subject of limita- tion of armament shall be regarded as unfinished business and that the and give full consid eration to the re- l suit of such examination as the gov ernments may have given to the pos 1 sibility of an agreement pursuant to the wish expressed by the first con-