Evening star., 1921-11-13

fear nothing, need not be actuated
by jealousies and can afford 10 take
the lead in armament reduction and
limitation.
1t was q challenge that must be
accepted. 1t was a daring move that
pleases the American people and all
lovers OF peace and haters of war.
BY that one step the United States
has become host in reality to all the
nations seeking permanent peace and
freedom from international threats
of war.
DES MONIES REGISTER.
1t cannot be complained of Sec
retary Hughes that he has not laid
a definite program before the con-
ference. Coming after SO much
general talk great feeling OF re-
lief Is going to come to everybody
as it is known that the debate will
turn from the start on the Secre-
tary's four specific proposals.
strated his capacity for thinking
constructively and to the point. If
the great naval nations go ahead
with competitive armament 1t viii
nor be for the want of a fair and
definite proposal to abandon arms.
The local outcome Of q ten-year
naval truce would be a forward
INV kOl Ah t8oAl4SN "oAAo.
OMAHA WORLD HERALD.
What is proposed with respect to
capital ships is that Great Brit
aims naval strength shall be main
tanned at only little below its
strength in 1913. while the naval
strength Of both the United States
and Japan shall be maintained At a
very much higher standard Against
whom is it proposed that the three
great naval powers should main
tain an aggregate naval strength
greater than they had in the year
before the war? Where is there q ,
possible enemy? There 10 no power
left on earth to challenge them. no
governments. 1t is the. sweeping
change wrought by the world war
that gives ground for hope that
there will be agreement TO the
Hughes proposal --"
SALT LAKE CITY TRIBUNE.
The proposal OF Secretary
warships Of the United States.
Great Britain and Japan are Set
forth in manly and stratghtfor-
ward fashion and will. OF course.
meet with serious consideration At"
the hands OF the the cent eGnte,enes: hs ace:
.cepted is matter for the future
to decide. We viii feel more GER
tain. than ever. that something VIII
be accomplished before the end Of
the conference by reason. o1 the
basis furnished by Secretary.
Hughes. 90. a.. :. = -
FARGO CRIER-NEWS. -
1t would seem that Mr.. Hughes
program Is advanced for purposes
OF trading. and il the washington
conference. like the sersa'hes ,tnne G1n
and hauling between nations for
selfish advantage. it. will. fail as
the Versailles conference failed.
The American farm bureau fedora.
tion's peace petition asks that
America set the example by her
old-fashioned diplomats throw
up their hands in horror at the
thoughts of America taking such
action before exacting promise
Of similar action. But what the
old world wants Is leadership to-
bureau is right in believing that
American. example would be much
more efficacious than American
bargaining.
RICHMOND TIAES-D1SFATCH' :
americas disarmament program
is so sweeping in its suggestions
1hat il is probable its adoption by =
the conference would arouse a
storm of resentment in this coun-
fry that might defeat it. yet Is
valuable in offering q basis from T.,
which the conferees may get to
work upon the great questions at
issue. in that it will serve the emu :
to which it has been presented
u,,D TpduCGH 1Es
SELF to merely a working baSis@a
starting point-foE the conference.
while at the same time 1t is an
evidence of Americas good faith
in it's suggestions for armament
limitation. From it some sort OF
an agreement may eventuate, bur
it may be set down here that no
such drastic program. and perhaps
no program at all, can be accepted
until these international centro--
versies which make heavy arma-
ments necessary are amicably COM
posed 1t is to such agreements
that the conference must address
itself before it can hope success.
fully to cope with the disarma- :
ment problem -. -
LOUISVILLE COURIER-JoURNAL.
A good beginning was made at ?
the first session Of the armament
conference-better perhaps than was
generally expected. .'
So solicitous have Mr.. Harding
and Mr.: Hughes appeared to be to
warn against too sangdine hopes,
and SO determined have they been
to teach the public that tho con-.
ference Is to be one for the: "1ini- 90
tatien" Of arInaments, sTathsr than
for the reduction Of arm4Enents or
for disarmament, that such a"pro-
gram as that presented By Mr..
Hughes yesterday was hardly looked
for. !: =
1t may be that Mr.. Hughes. in
proposing that program, Is follow .
ing the plan Of the man who Offers
hts house for sale at q price which
he expects to scale to meet the bid
Of buyer. Even with that, Mr..
Hughes program, II adopted after
considerable scaling, would be q step
toward realixing tie object Of tho
conference which would well tubtify
its assembling. :. ;:
A ten-year nava, holiday for, the
United States. Great Britain and. ia
pan, as proposed by Mr.. Hughes,
would materially tighten the war =.
burdens under which these powers
Mr.. Hughes has thus demanded
the sincerity OF our government in :
calling this conference: thus DEM
onstrated our willingness to make
q real cut in our navy provided 1t
be met by similar cuts in the.
navies Of Britain and Japan. It is 4.
clear that If the American delsEa- =
tion stands By this program it viii
not be it's fault II the conference
shall turn out failure. ~.
KANSAS CITY STAR.
The American proposals are evil
dence Of the sincerity'of this coun-
trys effort to tighten the Burden
of the worlds naval armament.
Coming. a they do. frem the power
best able to hear the burden, they
put tho United States in generous,
disinterested and effective leader
ship toward the goal Of. q higAer
civilization. Thsy may rsQuirs
aD4nAmon4. ND4 tAsS Foola8n proo-
aAay ths grDets0t practical en-