Evening star., 1921-08-17
Editorial Digest.
The Disarmament Sessions.

II. as the Columbia Record (demo-
cratic) declares. "the editors Of Amer
lea will be responsible for the opinion
of this nation on the subject" of full
publicity for all the activities of the
| coming disarmament conference, that
opinion will not be a unanimous one,
judging by the divergent positions
which editors are taking in the mat
ter. To the Record it Is "inconceiv-
able that the American press. as the
spokesman of American public opin-
ion, shall for one minute concede tho
right of this government to promote
a secret meeting" Nevertheless,
very substantial portion of the press
not only comedies this right, but
urges the necessity for observing
some of the established principles of
private negotiations. Granting that
the theory OF open covenants openly
arrived at" is unassatlable as a
theory, many papers try to show how
impossible it's practical operation is.
But tho principle is ardentiy defend
ed. as well, by other writer's who de-
mand that 1T be made the rule in the
disarmament discussions.
productive Of its best work." the Mobile
Register (democratic) feels, "if it takes
the whole world into its confidence"
Since its participants have agreed to
meet with the honest intention Of
reaching agreement to reduce arma-
ment." there is mo game OF diplomacy
to be played" therefore there is no
reason for secrecy. and there Is good
reason why the door should be left open.
as the very fact that it is open will tes-
IN ho Si xHith vuhi n
tions enter the conference" The Spring
field (Mo.) Leader (democratic) agrees
that IAN open meeting will show who is
sincere and who is not" and in order to
terests of the world demand public meet
ings."
Admitting many Of the arguments
against public Interference" In delicate
diplomatic relations: the Lafayette Jour
CAM still feels that the occasional
harm" which might result "is far over
balanced by the great good to be accom-
plished by giving the people q chance to
control their destinies," and while the
world has had enough tragic expert
ence with secrecy" it has not yet lost
faith in the idea Of open covenants
openly arrived at"
Secrecy. indeed, is more than likely to
defeat disarmament. in the opinion Of
the st. Paul News independently, and
Sin the interests Of it's own success the
conference should be as open as day"
involve well-nigh interminable discus
sion and a great waste Of words" the
Winston-Salem Journal (democratic)
contends that there is mo need Of haste
armament. the Journal holds. is "a peo-
pies movement rather than one Of gov
ernments," and ''unquestionably an open
conference is what the public wants in
the consummation Of that movement
publicity. and it always strikes a
popular chord" the Adrian (Mich.)
Telegram Independently observes.
However as many writer's insist. it is
not so easy to obtain. Negotiations,
length. do not readily lend themselves
to an audience" since: when men
negotiate they have to argue and
persuade: coax. fiatter and even
threaten: make and withdraw offers.
yield here and there: trade one con-
ess finally ending in agreement. To
try to carry on such process in
public might be entertaining, but very
hard on the negotiators and very dis
turbing to the result"
Nth This ,;nat,of. sort Of work" the Baltimore
be carried on In a public debating So
ciety." and achievement would be
impossible IL every action Of the con-
ference were subjected to the mo-
mentary Judgment Of the man in the
street" No business, ean be done "en-
tirely on the street corner" the Phi1a-
delphia r ,cord Independent demo-
cratic) adds, and there is no reason
why the delegates to the conference
should not meet in each others
rooms and confer without the press of
the world taking down every word"
open covenants openly arrived at"
says the Detroit News independently.
'is a glittering phrase which the
world would be happy to see put in
operation" or. as the Philadelphia
Public Ledger Independently ex-
presses It, "one Of these things that
sound all right" But. the Ledger con-
tinues. "the trouble about 1t is that it
will not work.
The Joplin (Mo.) Globe tdemocratic)
makes another point in the discussion
by suggesting that while unrestricted
publicity may be an American ideal
and a justifable demand for this
country to make. due consideration
must be given to the desires Of the
people Of other nations in the mat
ter, and since "there Is q difference
between what is theoretically correct
and what is practical" the United
States must In the end "concede some
| things If the conference Is to be
success"