The Washington times., 1921-11-12
0bRECON
APPROVES
PEACE AIM
Mexican President Discusses
Conference Outlook in Letter
To William R. Hearst.

MEXICO CITY, Nov. 12.-Alvaro
Obregon, President of Mexico, has
addressed the following telegram to
William Randolph Hearst. urging
reduction of armaments:
William Randolph Hearst.
Proprietor The Washington Times:
Universal disarmament, considered
in the past only as an IDEAL to tho
attainment Of which many great men
devoted all their efforts, has now
become iri urgent necessity, not to
he postponed nny longer, for the sim:
pie reason that modern armies and
the cost CT their equipn,ent constitute
the heaviest burden under which
mankind now staggers.
That part OF the community which
is constituted by men who work and
produce is daily losing strength.
weakening it's energies and exhaust
ing it's patience, there being an un-
due excess in the number OF consunn-
ers whose sole activities are devoted
to destruction in all its forms. Con
ditions such as these have created
a state of disturbance which, IL 1t he
not soon remedied. viii inevitably lead
TO a fearful catastrophe.
Brute Force Age Passed.
The only lesson. and this a very
costly one. which the world war has
taught us beyond all doubt, IL that the
age of brute force is passed forever.
that mans greatest conquests in the
future will be found in the realms OF
art and science, and that II Is neces-
sary to devote to these fields all that
vast expenditure of mental and physi-
cal energy now absorbed in the crea-
ton of armies and in the production OF
ornaments.
For this reason there is no one who
does not whole-heartedly support the
idea OF disarmament. which means the
reduction of armies to number just
large enough to insure internal order
and to maintain peace at home.
In referring to armaments, three
important points must, however, be
carefully considered:
Are the present needs OF disar ma
ment in keeping with the moral level
which mankind now attains?
Is the road taken. IL one may judge
by the scanty information which has
leaked out, the shortest cut toward the
accomplishment of such a noble end7
VIII tSe representatives Of those
countries that have been invited to
discuss this subject put the interests
Of mankind before those of their re-
spective countries?
Morality Should Rule.
In connection with the first point,
1t is clear that with the suppress
sion of brute force. true morality
should attain it's real value and in
fluence, and it's dictates should be
accepted as final in defining the
rights Of all individuals as well as
of all nations. The exact definition
of such rights cannot be reached
until they have been equally grant
ed to all men irrespective of race,
color, language. and religion, and
until IL is held that all the nations
which constitute the human race
possess them in an equal degree.
Therefore, in order that disarma-
ment, when accomplished, should not
become another failure, II is hoped
that the moral level OF the present
be sufficiently high to rec
ognize and to respect the rights Of
others, limiting it's demands to Its own
rights.
In connection with the second point,
let us note that a considerable number
OF nations have not been invited to
participate in n conference which
means so very much for the entire
human race, and in which, besides dis
or limitation OF ornaments,
other topics will be discussed which
Introduce real innovations In the do
main Of international law.
Room for Conjecture.
This leaves room for the conjecture
that there does not exist among the
deIeqates assembled to discuss such
Inportant affairs the intention to use
mere persuasive measures to induce
the countries excluded from the con-
ference 10 accept their decision. In
that case, the desired disarmament
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THE OUTLINE or HISTORY BY N. q. WELLS