Evening star., 1921-11-11
LEAGUE APPROVES
ARMS CONFERENCE
Formal Report Ranks ParIey
Second to Germany's
Disarming.
NJ DAVID LAWRENCE.

The principles adopted and the
agreements made At President Hard
ings conference on tho limitation OF
armament may be applied to all the
other nations OF the globe through
the medium Of the league Of nations.
A point Of contact between the
league, which has more than. forty
nations within its jurisdiction, and
the conference Of principal allied and
associated powers called by Mr..
Harding, has been established in
formally. Rene yiviani. former pre-
mier OF France and member OF the
French delegation to the Washington
conference, has brought with him the
reports and conclusions reached by
the commission on armament appoint. .
ed by the league Of nations and OF
which he is chairman.
League Approves Name.
Far from regarding Mr.. Harding's 8
project ~ q rival affair. the league
formally expresses its approval of
the initiative Of the President Of the
United States and promises him CO.
operation.
Next in importance to the disarm-
ament Of Germany, says the leagues
formal report, comes The proposal Of
President Harding that q conference
should meet at Washington. to dis
cuss disarmament and the settlement
Of the political problems of the Pa
cifc." The League OF Nations. which
exists for the purpose Of securing in
ternational concord, naturally well
comes with great satisfaction the in
itiative of President Harding.
"The limitation of naval armament,
which will be one OF the principal
problems discussed at the conference
at Washington, can, indeed. be most
ment between the powers. It is earn
estly to be hoped that this conference
will be fruitful, and that the reduction
Of the land Armaments on the conti-
nent Of Europe will BE- supplemented
by an understanding relating to the
reduction Of naval armament.
Leagues Aims UaaceonDlished.
When the covenant Of tho league
was framed 1t contemplated q situa-
tion in which all nations were men,
bers Of single league and bound to
one another by the common purpose Of
maintaining peace throughout the
globe. It assumed that all nations
would be At peace with one another.
and that the world would have settled
down to q position of stability after
the commissions Of the great war. It
is needless to say that these conditions
have SO far only been realized in part.
Three great powers. one Of them
actually and the other potentiallx OF
immense military Importance, stand
outside the league, and so long as the
United States. Germany and Russia
do not participate In our society, great
difficulties confront the com mon adop-
tion by its members Of . plan for the
systematic and progressive reduction
unreserved communication Of mill
tary inform alton. Neither have We
reached period Of stability. The
states bordering on the soviet repub.
lie are naturally apprehensive of the
intentions of their huge and uncer-
tain neighbor. The internal situation
of the Germa republic e s:ill far from
secure.
Progress Alreaay AaAe.
'Nevarthelsss, It 10 important to
realize that immense progress has al.
ready been made in the direction de-
sired. The treaties Of peace have i'm.
posed upon certain states precise
stipulations concerning disarmament
The execution Of these stipulations /.
|, in q fair, way Of being realized, and
will, it 10 hoped. be finally confirmed
BY the establishment Of stable demo.
cratic institutions In Germany. Thus
will q subOeAnt1al guarantee be II.
forded for the preservation Of peace.
Indeed. IN the whole course Of his
tory. no single step hes beea teksa