Pueblo chieftain., 1921-08-25
BY FREDERIC j. HAsK1N

ternatlOnal war cease because lne COM
mon man will no longer put up the
money necessary to carry ii on?
That is the real question which the
Washington conference on disarma- :
ment and international finance viii
consider. There is some hope of re-
suits from this conference because II
approaches the question of war from
new angle.
There have been efforts to abolish
war since before Christ. and all OF
them have failed completely. Rulers
and men of wealth have always wanted
wars in order to increase their power
and wealth. Often most of the people
want war, too. A war may be a great
national calamity. but 1t is also great
emotional debauch and shake-up. our
participation in the world war was
Just that. Many were killed and
MANNED. but many others had good
time, or made money, or saw the world
or gained a new point of view. 1t is
useless TO pretent that wars are de-
sired only by the men in power who
make them The excitement and
change which they afford is often
craved by the common man as well
even though he bears all the cost lro
takes all the risk.
But the cost and the risk are always
becoming greater, and the excitement
less. our participation in the war was
slight We did not feel the fun weight
Of II. Tho Europeans did, Burdcned
with taxes. most OF their young men
dead the European peoples see them
selves headed straight for more war
They know they cannot pay .he cost
of more war either in life or in money.
That is the meaning OF the disnrm-
ament conference. The politl-a! powers
OF the world have "a led it bee iuse
they know there is a damend for it.
They know that the common man. who
does the fighting and pays the bills. is
IN a striking mood The control OF
wa has always been in lis bar Is, Ind
never could he in anyone elsa's hny
time that he refuses TO fight there can
not he war ANY time he retus to
pay there cannot he n war. And he Just
now has a bellyful of both fighting and
paying. Therefore, the political and
diplomatic gentlemen will meet here
to decide among themselves just how
much they must concsde ia this new
mood of the common man, Tho result
Of the conference really depends upon
him He II public opinion. II public
opinion remains steadily against high
taxes and heavy armament, the pol
iticians viii have to make some con-
cessions. But II public opinion gets
excited about the national animosities
which will be aired, II it's national rist-
ttiltiF~ are FAlffFu Nnfn ANlf 'r''I
and vivianis begin hurting defiance al
each other. then the great disarmn
rnent conference viii he one more
Hague Tribunal. which accomplished
no more for world peace than a seN-
ing circle.
WAR DEBT 4 STRIKING FIGURE
Statesmen Of various nations from
time to time have expressed the view
that nothing would be accomplished
toward universal peace until the ma
tions OF the world were too poor 10
support big armies and naVies. That
time has arrived now When the del
President Harding meet In Washing
ton in November nations will he rep
resented having m aggrcgatf debt Of
y5ss 0oo 900 G0o That debt Will be tho
greatest figure at the conference table
ss matter Of fhct. some OF the great
military and naval powers OF the earth
are proceeding already on the assump-
'ion that the conference viii succeed
in it's aims. and are cutting down or
haltinE their military and naval pro-
grams Reliable information has
reached American officials that japan
has halted work on her now naynl
construction Great Britain has re-
duced her force Of marines from ZOO
to about 1900 and reduced her naval
personnel to H04FSN. ofher nations are
following their examples TO n greater
or less extent
Conferences on the subjec, have been
under way In the United States since
before tho election last autumn. Rough
iy. the expected outcome OF the confer
ence may be set down NOW, SO far rs
America Is concerned. from informe
tion obtained from the most reliable
official yourcus. American armament
are expected to he reduced to twelve
first line b,ttlsships In fun commis-
sion, three squadrous Of four ships
each divided between the Atlantic and
Pacific. No limitations viii be placed
upon coast dcfcnscs. which by their
character cannot be used extensively.
The standing army will he reduced 70
between 5000 and 5000 men. The
other nations Of tho world viii agree
to reductions in tho same proportion.
There wiz he a strong and definite lin
itation OF the numbers of aircraft each
nation may construct. The Use OF
deadly gases and submarines and their
production viii be rigidiy prescribed.
II is the belief OF the statesmen he
hind tho move for limiting world arm
aments that tho greatest security
ngains, future wars lies In holding
down professional armies and navies TO
the point whore no sudden and RE
mendous offensive can he launched In
tho future. such ai Germany launched
into Belgium In 1914 Tho time re-
quired for preparations for war after
a break between nations VIII he count
ed upon to a large extent to allow the
injured feelings OF both to be smoothed
down
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