The New York herald., 1921-11-26
SATURDAY. NOVEMBER &c. 1921.
The Way to Peace.


was made inexpressibly happy by that
which occurred at the first meeting OF
the Conference for the Limitation
of Armament. The spokesman for
the United States, Secretary HUGHES,
laid before the delegates OF the IN
vited nations definite proposal for
the relief Of the worlds mind and
pocket: the scrapping of many battle
ships, old and new. and naval holi-
day for ten years. He invited the Brit
.sh Empire and Japan to join Amer
lea in this great stroke at the arma-
fhent burden, asking them to sacri-
flee nothing more than the United
States was willing to give up, offer
ing, in its behalf, indeed, to give up
3 great deal more than was asked
of them.
1t was bold beginning, a piece OF
real craftsmanship, benevolent chal-
ienge for peace. A world which had
been somewhat cynical of the sue
cess OF the conference thrilled with
the sudden belief that such direct and
unselfish action as that of the United
States, speaking through Mr.. HUGHES.
could not fail to evoke from all inter
ested nations the same spirit OF will
ingness to yield something for the
general good. And when Mr.. BAL.
-FOUR, for the British Empire, and
Baron KATo, for japan, indicated
their assent to the naval programme
it began to look as though this
SCARED and debt ridden world was
going to get somewhere through the
meeting of minds In Washington.
In his invitation to the other Pow
ers last August Secretary HUGHES.
speaking for President HARDING, very
clearly and truthfully said that "the
prospect Of reduced armaments Is
rot hopeful one unless this desire
finds expression in practical effort
20 remove causes of misunderstand-
ing and to seek ground for agree
ment as to principles and their ap-
plication."
Has the atmosphere of the last
week--not so much In the conference
itself but in the outer zone of reac-
tion among the leaders of nations
been OF a nature like to remove
causes of Misunderstanding" Tn
fortunately, it has not. Instead OF
finding ground for agreement as to
principles and their application"
some statesmen, here or in other
continents, have said things which Of
necessity have diverted the public
mind from the first principles OF the
conference.
The conference was not intended
as a forum for the debate OF inter-
national enmities, rivalries and sus-
picions. 1t was not intended as
magnificent opportunity for states
men to endear themselves to their
constituents. 1t was intended not
as a place where nations should de-
clare what they would not do but as
place where they could promise
what they would do in the interest
Of peace. II was intended not as a
place for picking up new pistols but
for laying down the old ones.
AS an American newspaper. proud
of American institutions and leader
ship, THE New YORK HERALD Is very
glad to say that the United States
has done nothing in this conference
that IL can regret. At the very be-
ginning It gave an example, never 10
be forgotten, OF the way TO go about
getting international peace The
American attitude was simply that
while the past must be remembered
for its lessons. the world was con.
fronted by serious present and a
doubtful future; that friendship was
far more important than grudges;
that the big concrete problem of the
hour was to release the peoples from
the staggering load of expense caused
by the rivalries of armaments. II
everybody at the conference and his
fellows abroad had kept their minds
on these undisputed facts the world
would be as optimistic to-day as 1t
was two weeks age.
The speech OF Premier BRrASD and
the reply it has provoked from Lori
CuRzoN need not be dissected to show
the influence they have on the ten.
per Of peoples whose attention has
been distracted from the definite pur.
poses of the conference. Admitting
the impossible hypothesis that NJ.
BRAND and Lord CURzoN are both
correct in their respective state
ments, both are doing the world n
bad turn in talking domestic politics
at . time when so many earnest and