The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-06-08

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Dispatch to The Reformer.) |
Copyright 1921.
WASHINGTON, June S-President
Harding yesterday told Representative
Mondell, Republican leader of the house, !
that he was well satisfied with the reso-
luton proposed by the house concurring
in the executives views on disarmament
and the prospect now is that the senate |
which adopted the Borah amendment will
accept the house substitute.
What might have been a disagreeable |
situation as between the two houses has
been avoided by the tact of the Republi- |
can leaders in the house. who made the
disarmament resolution sufficiently broad
as to carry weight in international coun- !
ellis The President was told by Mr. Mon |
dell that the house felt very strongly that
the money appropriated for the navy was
quite sufficient and that the members dld'I
not look with friendly eyes on the in
creaSeS made in the senate. The naval
bin now is in conference between the two
houses. and while it looks as if a COM
promise will be worked out Mr.. Harding
may be called upon to adjust the differ
ences as to naval appropriations. If the
confereeS do not agree and Mr.. Harding
is called upon to aid, an embarrassing
situation will arise for the executive. Ii /
will be the first time that the President
will have before him the concrete question
of reduction of armament. lie has thus
far expressed himself in general terms
and has not gone beyond the expression
that America must not disarm alone
Nevertheless. there is n considerable
sentiment IN congress to the effect that
America should make her sermons on dis
or 1frith haV a lr8
and at the same time to give the world
an example when all eyes are turned on
she American congress.
The question as to what the point is to
which ornaments may be reduced con-
SiStent with domestic safety is entirely too
broad and too controversial to expect
agreement in congress. at this stage of the
disarmament discussion when other ma
tions have not given evidence of the
lengths to which they are willing To go in
reducing ornaments. Accordingly. Mr..
Harding is anxious to maintain America :
naval and military program for the pres
ent while at the same time he believes
he has done bis duty in approaching the
other powers to determine what may be
agreed upon with respect to a suspension
fof naval building The whole thing is in
4 a preliminary status but the American
view has been sent to Ambassador Har
tvey that ii may be informally com
municated to the other governments at
the supreme councils next meeting.
Meanwhile. Senator BOrah looks on
Well pleased that through his single effort
the administration was compelled to
tackle the disarmament question sooner
than il planned Mr. Borah cannot very
well insist upon his own amendment,
which provided for a conference only be
tween the United States, Japan and Great
Britain because the new proposal would
include all powers. and would apply to
military as we'll as naval forces. On the
other hand, the administration takes the
credit for broad expression on the SUBJ
ject of disarmament as engineered through
the house by Republican Leader AIondell
with the full support of President Hard
ing.
So both sides are satisfied and out of
it all there issues n definite statement
that America will disarm if the other pow
erS viii agree. ON top of this comes "A
statement from George y. Barnes, Con
sprvative British labor leader and Spokes.
man of British sentiment, that England
is ready to meet every proposal of the
United States, but that Japan is the diff
Guilty. The growth of a liberal movement
in japan is counted upon to help the dis
armament cause in that country, but il
begins to look as if the whole question OF
reducing ornaments will depend as it nj
ways has upon the sum total of apprehen.
sIOns concerning a next war. Just nj
present the Far East is looked upon as q
source of possible friction. 1t is safe bet
that until the relations between ths
United States and Japan are amicably
adjusted there will be little progress made
on the subject of disarmament The
American fleets strongest vessels are il
the Pacific. There are rumoFs that Japan
is losing little time fortifying certain is
lands which will be useful az submarine
bases, and altogether .Japan-American re
lationS are still in that vague and clOudy
state which makes it impossible to tel
from which side the next move will come
III President Harding feels keenly the re
4 Sponsibility he has of reducing taxes
Most of the governments budget-indeet
h 6S per cent goes directly or indirectly
to expenditures growing out of war. sucl
as pensions and claims. and about 90 pei
4 cent to army and navy appropriations
/ All the talk of economy in government
4 bureaus and administrative efficiency af
fects about II per cent of the govern
ment's payroll and bills. So the neces
\ sity for a reduction of the 20 per cen
I item is the big factor in the case Blu
4 before there will be much done on disarm
B ament the chances are that the Hardin:
Y administration viii make n supreme effor
\ to clear up once and for all the relations
between the United States and Japan
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