New-York tribune., 1921-11-13
Relieve Worlds Millions
of Toll of Sorrow and
Crushing Burdens, His
Plea in Opening Farley
q America Enters
With Clean Hands,
Has No Fears or Sordid
Aims, President Says in
Appeal for Frankness

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12.-President
Harding opened the armament confer
ence here to-day with an address which
sounded new note in internationa
dlscourses. 1t put into words the long
ing of 'warwearied world, Struggling
for restoration, hungering and thirst
ing for better relationship; of human,
ity crying for relief and craving assur-
ances of lasting peace"
Directing the memory of the dele
gates back but a day before to the
spectacle of the Unknown Soldiers
burial, the President called on the chief
nations of the world to minimize the
agencies of destruction and sorrow anc
limit the continuing burden of arma.
ments.
"ln soberest reflections" said the
President, "the worlds hundreds OF
millions who pay in peace and die ir
war wish their statesmen to turn the
expenditures for destruction into means
of construction aimed at higher stat,
for those who live and follow after"
America, the President pointed out
comes to the conference with clean
hands, for we harbor no fears; We
have no sordid ends to serve; we sus
pect no enemy, we contemplate or ap-
prehend no conquest. We only wish tt
do with you that finer. nobler thing
which no nation can do alone"
Seeking a Better Way
President Harding's address in full
was as follows:
Mr.. Secretary and Members of the
Conference, Ladies and Gentlemen:
1t is a great and happy privilege to
! bid the delegates to this conference
cordial welcome to the capital of
the United States of America. 1t is
not only satisfaction to greet you
because we were lately participants
in common cause, in which shared
sacrifices and sorrows and triumphs
brought our nations more closely to-
gether, but it is gratifying to ad-
dress you as the spokesmen for ma
tions whose convictions and attend
ing actions have so much to do with
the veal or woe of all mankind.
at is not possible to over-ap-
praise the Importance of such con-
ference. 1t is no unseemly boast, no
disparagement of other nations,
which, though not represented, are
held in highest respect, to declare
that the conclusions of this body
will have signal influence on all
human progression the fortunes of
the world.
"Here is a meeting, can we'll be-
lieve, which is an earnest of the
awakened conscience of twentieth
century civilization. 1t is not a
convention of remorse, nor session
of sorrow. 1t is not the conference
of victors to define terms of settle
ment. Nor is it council of nations
seeking to remake human kind. 1t is
rather coming together, from all
parts of the earth, to apply the bet
ter attributes of mankind to mini
mize the faults in our international
relationships.
Call Not Of america
Alone, but of World
Speaking as official sponsor for
the invitation, think l may say the
call is not of the United States of
America alone. 1t is rather the
spoken word of war-wearied world,
struggling for restoration, hunger
ing and thirsting for better relation
ship; of humanity crying for relief
and craving assurances. of lasting
peace.
at is easy to understand this