The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-02-11
DISARMAMENT
SURELY COMING
One of First Foreign Pol
icies to Be Tackled by
Mr.. Harding
READY '.s "
TO JOIN WITH US
Despite Her FOndness for Maintaining
the Supremacy of the Seas the Saving
That Will Come Through Naval
agreement Is Sure TO Win Out
Pv DAVID LAWRENCE
by DAVID law RENIE.
Especial Despatch to The Reformer.)
Copyright 1921

| Especial Despatch to The Reformer.)
| Copyright 1921.
| WASHINGTON, Feb. 11.-The influ-
ence of president-elect Harding and
| Elihu Root. both of whom advised Repub-
lican leaders in congress that it would be
unwise To commit America for the present
to a reduction of naval armament, finally
has prevailed. And the senate committee
on naval affairs has recommended that
construction on ships already authorized
be continued until an international dis
armament agreement makes it safe to do
otherwise. About the time that Senator
Borah began his campaign for a three
party agreement whereby Japan, the
United States and Great Britain would
agree to reduce naval armament the move
ment in congress To cut down naval apprO-
priationS on ships already under construc-
ton began to grow to an alarming extent.
One day. a Republican member of con
sress happened to be calling upon Secre-
, tary Daniels, at the navy department
I'm going to Marion tomorrow" said
the Republican member with Il smile.
ANY message to Senator Harding?"
"Yes.' replied Mr.. Daniels with a
twinkle i'm his eye Tell Harding to look
out or he won't have any navy by the
time he's iuaUgurated-the fellows on the
/ before he gets chance TO negotiate for
, disarmament.
Several days later. the same view was
brought to PrcSident-elect Harding from
other quarters. The plan of having Elihu
Root write Il letter To members of the
house now on naval affairs was adopted
in order - prevent action in the house
that might cmbarraSS Mr.. Harding when
he took office. Similarly, conferences with
senate leaders en>ued and Mr.. Harding
made it plain that il would be unwiSe for
the nitpd States to take the initiative
in disarmament. when there was no a>sur-
ance concerning the attitude of other
powers. and that IL would be particularly
embarrassing if the United States
~crappcd her navy and then sat down to
the table with the other powers in an at
tempt to induce them to do likewise
Mr.. Harding took the view that she
nited States would have much more in
tiuence at a disarmament conference not
/ only If she continued to build the ships
which had already been authorized, but
| if she showed the world that she would
continue to expand her navy unless an
absolute agreement were entered into re-
ievlng the peoples Of the world of the
burdens of taxation, which n naval build
ing race would entail
The action Of the senate naval affairs
committee is contending that the United
States must have a navy at least esrIal
to that of any other power is not a lin
goistlc observation nor the beginning of
any nayal-IStlc ambitions aimed at Great
Britain or any other power. 1t is on the
other hand. part of the Republican policy
of compelling disarmament by building
up the naval strength of any other power
80 that the example of the United States
and Great Britain in agreeing Jointly to
reduce ornaments NAV be followed nv
powers of lesser naval strength.
Having succeeded in Suspcnding for the
present the movement in congress to cur
tail building appropriations, il is To be
expected that naval expenditures of other
committees will be sharply pruned Al
though Mr.. Borah and others probably
will not consent to be silent on disarma-
lnent proposals. the chance of action hv
the present congress has passed and the
whole problem has been left for the next
president of the United States who really
wanted 1t handled that way, SO he might
have powerful lever in his first negotia-
tons on foreign policy.
Great britain, aware of Mr.. Harding :
views, promptly called Auckland Geddes.
British ambassador here for n conference
abroad with the prime minister and the
bfitiSh CABINET. When Sir Auckland left
the United States he knew that the
whole question of disarmament would
come up in the very beginning of the
Harding administration and that he could
spend the month of February in no better
way than in formulating proposals for
Mr.. Hardlng'S consideration, during the
month of March
/ Although the supremacy of the seas is
something dear to the heart of every
Englishman, the argument that interna-
tional exchange will improve and that the
financial burdens of the British public
will be made considerably lighter bv n
| naval building agreement with the United
I states makes an effective appeal perhanS
not to sentiment but to sound economics
on both sides of the Atlantic. The report
Of the senate naval affairs committee
/ doesn't mean continued naval expansion.
! however ambitious sounding it may be
1t does mean the beginning of a disarma-
! ment program and less taxation for there
is every reason to believe Great Britain
means to cooperate with the United
States in reducing the size of national
! budgets in n world struggling desperately
to get back to normal.