Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-08-29
END CONSCR|PT|ON,
POPE URGES WORLD
Says Disarmament Is Farce If
"NapoIeonic Invention"
Remains
INTERESTED IN U. S. PARLEY
b. F. KOSPOTH
speeidi cable Dispatch. CopVrioht 1921
tReprtnted from Todns's Public Jedeer1
Ra...a ~ In...A.ll-.

IReprtntsd from Today's Public Ledeer1
Rome. Aug. 20-Probably no states
men in Europe take kecner interest
IN the forthcoming Washington con-
ference thnn Pope Bcncdirt's ministers
at the Vatican. In fact. tho Pope re
CARDS himself as the spiritual father Of
the disarmament movement. which he
considers he initiated by his peace mes
sage of August 1 1917
It is his earnest desire that the
Washington conference may not limit
its labors to naval disarmament--al-
though he fully recognizes its supreme
Importance for America. England and
Japan-and that it will find means Of
extending the program TO limitation of
land armies also. which is primarily the
problem confronting the nations of the
European Continent.
The Papnl Secretariat Of State ycstcr.
day gave your correspondent an CH
elusive authorized statement which de-
fines the pope'S attitude toward the
conference and disarmament rs follows
His Holiness views with intense
sympathy Americas 5 endeavor 70 bring
lasting peace to the peoples of the world.
He sees in President Harding's under
taking renewed proof of the high ideal
ism which distinguished the American
n
remarkable instance Of the mental af-
tnity existing between the greatest spir-
itual power and the greatest political
power of the world
Aware Of Obstacles
''The Pope is fully aware of the
enormous difficulties to be overcome
before disarmament can be realized
Disarmament was most carefully stud.
led by the Pope and his advisers before
publication of the papal peace message
four years ago. His present opinion
His Holiness bases on information COL
lected during this investigation which
convinced him that the public opinion
Of all countries regards disarmament as
the sole effective and sincere means of
realizing a durable peace and prevent
ing universl financial ruin.
"As he sees it. the fundamental
issue is the substitution Of the moral
force Of right for the material force
of might and the ideal aim to be
achieved is just agreement between
all nations and an ensuing simultaneous
and reciprocal limitation of armaments
in such degree that only the military
forces sufficient TO maintain law and or
der within their own territory will
remain under arms.
Must Abolish COnSCription
His Holiness believes the easiest and
most popular measure that can be takcna
in this direction in Europe is complete
abolition of conscription. The example
Of America and England. who abolished
obligatory military service after the
war. proves this can be done.
The Napoleonic invention Of con-
scription has been the cause of immeas-
urable suffering and misery throughout
the world. The abolition of conscrip-
tion would render war impossible in
Europe, or at least impossible on such
a vast scale as the recent terrible con-
f1ict. Without the abolition of conscrip
ton. disarmament must ever remain an
illusion.
But when obligatory service has
been definitely abolished in Europe the
day will no longer be distant when ar
bitration will replace war as a, means
OF settling disputes between nations,
no matter how serious the differences
NAV be- ~