The New York herald., 1921-01-02

the nations involved disarmament was
the last thought in their minds. His
resolution Is made In all seriousness. but
Il also calls for a Showdown" and de-
mands that the three leading naval Pow
ers really say where they stand on the
question of naval disarmament
AS Senator Borah expresses 1t. when
1t was decided to disarm Western bad
men the peaceful citizens of the COM
munity vwere not called into any con-
ference on the subject. He now in
tends to call in those nations which
are really naval powers.
Senator Walsh's resolution calls for
a conference under the aegis of the
League Of Nations Back of 1t Is the
principle that all nations should uni.e
in discussion Of the subject.
The Senate Foreign Relations Com
;mittee will hear Senator Walsh, and
as a result of the two divergent reso-
lutions offered, the entire subject of
the League of Nations will come be-
fore the Senate as a matter of discus
sion. Opponents of the league welcome
this, for they desire an opportunity 10
discuss what has happened in the re-
cent Geneva conference.
Senator Walsh Interviewed.
Commenting on his resolution. Senator
Walsh in an interview given The NEW
YORK HERALD to-day said:
There are several reasons why
think the practical thing to do is to.
follow the. course / have suggested In
MY resolution. A reduction in the ex-
-pense of building up new navies is evil
IDENTIFY desired, of course, but I see no
reason why we should stop there. AS
/ understand 1t, 1t Is estimated the ex-
pense of maintaining the armaments of
the great nations Of the world totals
5000, 900 a year. Half that sum at
least ought to be saved to the world.
France, l. believe, now has an army
of 100000 men and probably 100000 are
still under arms. Assuming there is q
sincere desire to accomplish this very
necessary saving and to that end to
reach. an agreement among the nations.
1t occurs to me- that If We propose. as
is Contemplated by the resolution of
Senator Borah, that Great Britain and
Japan designate representatives to meet
representatives Of this Government to
discuss naval armament. they might
properly say, and 1t seems to me not
unlikely that they VIII say:
1--we have already entered upon a
plan for the general reduction of arma-
ments, both naval and military, through
the League Of Nations and 1t would be
embarrassing to us as well as to the
other nations thus associated with us
to take up the question separately. 1t
might be that the committee appointed
by. the council of the league would ar
rive at one conclusion. while the linz
tied commission OF three nations reach
an entirely different conclusion
I'm other words, there would be two
commissions, engaged in work sub
stantially the same, except that one
would limit 1t to naval establishments,
and the other would include both mill
tary and naval defences.
'Yf either Great Britain or Japan Is
not sincerely desirous of entering upon
the project Of a general reduction OF
armament, that would be an easy and
Diplomatic kind of an answer to the
suggestion offered In the Borah resolu-
ton. Moreover. apprehend that the
question OF the naval strength OF GER
tain nations and the military strength
of certain other nations are so intimate
ly associated that It would be difficult
70 arrive at an agreement among tne
nations that are powerful at sea without
a participation OF those nations who
maintain a great military establishment
without corresponding naval strenGth.
ITO illustrate, France now has an
army OF 100000. 1t Is quite conceivab bic
that Great Britain might decline to re-
duce her naval establishment without
corresponding reduction In the Land