The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-12-25

now, has turned prophet and pre-
diets the success Of the conference.
He bases his prophecy largely on
what he saw and heard when he WAS
in Europe few weeks ago. ''The
impression received abroad" he IL
quoted az saying. land on my trip
West regarding the outcome of the
conference 10 most favorable and l
see no reason why 1t should not be
a complete success" And then he
hit upon an argument which has
converted many pocketbooks to
peace when he said: 1.-THE tremen-
dous cost Of perpetual preparation
for war is q serious burden from
which people are anxious to be re-
ieved as far as possible" Two
years ago the pocket nerve had not
felt the necessity Of reducing arma-
ment. 1t is because of the heavy
taxes which war agencies cost that
the idealists and thinkers have been
Joined by the big business advo-
CntC0 "a uiodA uld1ncHt. SCuCIdl
Pershing shows that he is depending
upon the convincing argument of
money to play large part In the
success Of the movement which Ia
now occupying the foremost atten-
ton of the whole world. 1 greatly
fear that IL we idealists and reform
ers. who were sneered at eighteen
months ago, still stood alone the
pressure for reduction would not be
SO resistless.
General Lejeune, commandant Of
the marines, who won glory in
France in command Of the Second
division. voiced the spirit of those
fighting men when he said recently
no class Of people is more anxious
to see war abolished than are the
men who have worn and are now
wearing the uniform of tho United
States Of America. The armed
forces will welcome with open arms
any honorable plan to end the race
In building war machinery. We
should pray for the success Of the
conference now In session.
WHAT LEE AND BEATTY THINK.
1t is good to read the optimism
Of Admiral Beatty, Of Great Britain.
when he declares that the world
must come to reduction Of Arma-
ment. Happily the military head Of
the British navy and tho civilian
head of the navy are in accord. for
Lord Lee. first lord of the i'd
miralty. says the time has come
when the British and American
navy must be equal. That last
statement is significant. l remem-
Der few years ago. when the
Secretary of the Navy approved the
declaration Of our general board
that tho navy Of the United States
''must be equal to that OF any
nation" It created some commouon
on both sides of the Atlantic.
was told that inasmuch as Gteat
Britain was an island kingdom We
ought 10 coucede that it should be
first and we sheuld be second. The
effective answer to that long-prated
policy held by small Americans WIS
given by President Wilson In his
st. Louis speech when he declared
that no nation had SO many miles
of shore-line to defend and this
nation should have the most
adequate navy in the world.
EQUAL NAVIES URGED.
II competitive navy building II
to 90 on the United States must be
first II happily that ANTICIPATED
war-producing competition is to give
way to something better. then Lord
Lee has opened the way for agree
ment by advocating the position
which the general board. led by
Dewey, Badger and Benson, have
long maintained.
Hands across the sea" on that
proposition. 1t shows that dreams
OF O6lUk IhAbNA Co5 VI LILO UCoo W Nv
nation are to stand between agree
ment that looks to disarmament
Tho broad and statesmanlike ex-
pressions By military officers from
France, japan and Italy now in
Washington show that II tho confer
ence should go on the rocks, the
fault cannot be laid at the door Of
the army and navy fighting men.
They have sounded the clarion note.
Nor are they the first distinguished
fighters who hated war. They are
of the same spirit of General Grant,
who after the civil war always stood
for peace.
"Sir, I hate war;" said Grant,
when on his trip around the world
a militaristic, ruler thought to de-
light Grant by asking him to review
his great army.
The boys who fought in France
went across because they believed
II was "a war against war" They