Evening star., 1921-11-15
OFFICIAL TEXT OF
BALF0UR'S SPEECH
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ments over the weakness of my
empire. Far from it. We are
strong. I hope, in the vigorous life
of it's constituent parts"
I'VE are strong, l hope. in the
ardent patriotism which binds US
all together. But this strategic
weakness is obvious to everybody
who reflects: 1t is present In the
minds Of our enemies. IL we have
enemies. DO not let it be forgot
ten by our friends.
These reflections, with your
kindness. l have indulGed in in
order to explain why it is that I
am addressing you at the present
time We have had to consider, and
we have considered, the great
scheme laid before you by our
chairman. We have considered it
with admiration and approval. We
agree with 1t in spirit and in prin-
ciple. We look to it as being the
basis of the greatest reform in the
matter of armament and prepara-
tion for war that has ever been
conceived or carried out by the
courage and patriotism Of states
men.
Drops All Pretense.
II do not pretend. of course-it
would be folly to pretend-that
this or any other scheme, by what
ever genius it may have been con-
trived. can deal with every sub
ject: can cover the whole ground
of international reconstruction 1t
would be folly TO make the at
tempt, and it would be folly to-
pretend that the attempt has yet
been made in any single scheme. as
was clearly explained by the Sec
retary of State on Saturday. The
scheme deals. and deals only. with
three nations which own the
largest fleets at present in the
world. 1t therefore, of necessity,
omits all consideration for the
time being of those European ma
uons who have diminished their
fleets and who at present have no
desire, and hope never will have
any desire, to own fleets beyond
the necessities that national honor
and national defense require"
Land Armaments Untouched.
Again, it does not touch ques-
ton which every man coming from
Europe must feel to be a question
of immense and almost paramount
Importance; ! mean the heavy
burden of land ornaments. That
is left on one side, to be dealt
with by other schemes and in 9TH
one of the biggest things that
has ever yet been done by con-
structive statesmanship. 1t does
deal with the three great fleets Of
the world, and in the broad spirit
in which 1t deals with those fleets
in the proportion of disarmament
the government of the country
which 1 represent is in the fullest
and the heartiest sympathy with
the policy which the United States
have brought before US for our
consideration. (Applause.) They
have, as we think. most rightly.
gressive unit, which they have in
the main to consider; and in the
battle feet you must include
those auxiliary ships without
which a modern battle fleet has
neither eyes nor ears. has little
power of defense against certain
forms of attack, and little power
dealing with any equal foe to
which it may be opposed.
Limitation Ii Acceptable.
Taking those two as really be-
longing to one subject, namely, the
battle feet. Taking those two, the
battleships themselves and the YES
. sells auxiliary and necessary to g.
battle fleet, we think that the pro-
portion between these various coun-
tries is acceptable. We think the
Limitation of amounts is reasona-
BILE; We think it should be accepted
(applause) we firmly believe that
it will be accepted.
'In my view Of the message which
has been sent around the world on
Saturday it is not a message which
is going to be received by those
most concerned with cool approba-
ton. 1 believe it is going to be
received by them with warm,
hearty approval, and with every
EFFORT at full. loyal and complete
II think it would be ill-fitting on
such an occasion as this If were
to attempt to go into any details.
There are Questions-and I have no
doubt that the Secretary Of State,
our chairman, would be the first to
tell us that there are details which
can only be adequately dealt with
in committee. At the first glance,
Tor eXanlplG-dnQ give IL merely
as an example-our experts are
inclined to think that perhaps too
large an amount of tonnage
has been permitted for submarines.
More Easily Abused.
Submarines are a class of ves-
sells most easily abused in their use
and which. in fact. In the late war,
were most grossly abused. We
quite admit that probably the sub
marine is the defensive weapon,
properly used, Of the weak, and that
it would be impossible, or, il possible, :
It might we'll be thought undesirable,
I to abolish them altogether. But the
amount of submarine tonnage per.
mitted by the new scheme 10 far in
excess, I believe. Of the tonnage
possessed by any nation at the
present moment, and only throw
it out as suggestion that it may
y be well worth considering whether
that tonnage should not be further
limited, and whether, In addition to
limiting the amount of the tom
mage, It might not be practicable.
and. II practicable, desirable,
4 to forbid altogether the
construction Of those vast sub