Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1921-12-01
Conference Agreeing on Naval
Limitations but Apart on
China Questions.
BRANDS ELOQUENT SPEECH
Frances Need Of Strong Army, Due
to Fear of German Aggression,
convlnelngIy Set Forth-Tax
gill Becomes Law and
Congress AdJourns.
sy EDWARD w. PIcKARD


n ONCORD and discord both were
~ apparent in the armament confer
ence last week. 1t appeared the
Hughes plan for naval holiday and
limitation would soon be accepted
formally almost exactly as ne pro-
posed 1t. Great Britain indorsed the
1868" ratio without reservation ana
made II known that she desired only
TO suggest some modification OF the
submarine and replacement features
of the plan as a whole. The Jap
anese, though still arguing that they
should have 70 per cent of the naval
strength Of Great Britain and the
United States, evidently were pre-
pared to yield with the expectation
Of some concessions In their favor
relative to China. But the British, at
home, already are growing impatient.
As soon as the Hughes plan was given
ont the admiralty stopped work on
battleships under construction. Thurs-
day 1t announced that unless de-
cisIon relative to naval limitation
were reached by the conference With
in two weeks, work on the battleships
would be resumed before Christmas.
The admiralty may have been intiu'
epced in this by the fact that our
congress adjourned without ordering
cessation of work on our new ships.
AS for the dlscOrd, which unfortu-
nately exists, 1t arises over two sub
iects-land armament limitation ana
China. Concerning the reduction OF
armies the Ill feeling Is between
France and England and Is being
sedulously fostered by certain British
correspondents now in Washington,
notably Fl. G. Wells, who brazenly ad-
mits that he is doing his "own small
hest to exacerbate IT," his avowed
reason being that "a brisk quarrel
and some plain speaking may clear
the air for q better understanding"
n REMIER BRAND, in a wonder
/ full address, told the conference
and the world just why France dare
not now reduce her land force too far.
Without hesitation he set forth frank
ly his country'S fears Of Germany,
first. and of Russia, more remotely.
With facts and figures he made PLAIN
the possibility that Germany might
again and almost within a day be-
come q powerful and dangerous MILL
tary nation. and that a considerable
portion of the German people look for
ward 70 this he showed by quotations
from Ludendorff, who still has large
following. BRAND did not fail to give
generous praise to Wirth's government
and admitted there were many people
in Germany, especially among the
working classes. who want 10 work
and want no more war. The Ger
many they represent, he said, France
would do all In her power to help.
But. he said. until there was a
"moral disarming" as we'll as phys
ical in Germany, and unless France
was assured of the continued support
of the United States and Great Brit
ain. France could not lay herself open
70 attack by Germany. I'VE have to
know" he said. that France is not
morally isolated, that she still has
with her the men Of good will and
the hearts of all people who have
fought with her on the same battle
field"
As for the charge that BRAND and
the French who follow him have
hidden design to install In Europe
sort of middle supremacy, this, the
premier said, as the most painful,
beart-rendIng and cruel thing
Frenchman can hear"
1t Is impossible, much as one would
like to do so, to quote more of NJ.
Brands eloquent speech. Suffice 1t
to say that to an unprecedented mind