The New York herald., 1921-12-16
Finds Flaws in the Agree
ment on Scrapping of
Capital Ships.
5-5-3 RATIO UNFAIR TO US.
Asserts Reduction of Arma-
ment Is Only Pack Horse
to Carry Bad Pacts.
Special Despatch to The NEW YoRK HnRaLp.
New York Herald Bureau.
VVush n. ncr

Special Despatch to The NEW YoRk HnRALp.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. O.. Dec. IS.
A vicious attack on the four Power
treaty was made to-day in the Senate
by Senator Reed (Mo.) in his introduc-
tion to a speech to be continued to-
morrow In which he declared the agree.
ment Is a "gold brick" and that 1t should
properly be called an American japanese
alliance.
To support his statement that the
American people are being deceived, the
Missouri Senator declared this gold
brick was finished one night at II O'Clock
in secret session and handed to the
American public through the press next
morning" He added that Congress was
expected to approve the document quick
ly 80 that an unsuspecting people would
be taken unawares.
"The conference was opened by a
great flourish of trumpets," said Senator
Reed. mo advertising agent for movie
or q circus ever conceived a better plan
for publicity. On the day the conference
was called we celebrated Arnaistice Day
by parading through the streets of
Washington with the body OF an un-
known American soldier. The ceremony
attending his funeral aroused all our
love. devotion and tender feelings and
that atmosphere Of sympathy and ten
derness prevailed when The conference
was formally opened the next day."
Senator Reed said that in opening the
conference Secretary Hughes suggested
only a plan for the reduction OF arma-
ments and there was not the slightest
intimation that any trouble or alliances
would be necessary. He declared people
were led to believe that the sole purpose
OF the conference was to work out plan
to reduce those deadly and fearful ap-
pliances men have mads for their own
destruction"
Makes Great Britain Master.
The Senator asserted that the Hughes
plan makes Great Britain the master or
the seas for ten years land takes from
us by solemn treaty the right to make
ourselves the equal in armament OF any
nation in the world" Then he added !:
Under the stipulations of the Hughes
plan we cannot build a feet equal to
Great Britain's for decade and withtin
that period empires may rise and faii
and the world be turned topsy turvy.
Observation-Disclosures we are the creditor
nation of the world and In a race for
naval supremacy we could outdtstance
all other nations our hands are tied by
this agreement. The interest alone en-
the foreign debt--if 1t Is ever paid
would furnish us with capital sufficient
to build moro ships than any other ma
ton in the world. Any other nation
would embrace such an opportunity TO
build and maintain the leading fleet.
This agreement furthermore binds US,
no matter what our wealth, never to
have a. navy greater than Great Britain's.
While the treaty contemplates that we
can have an equal navy with Britain's
we can never exceed her in ships"
The Senator went on to say that the
Hughes plan conceded to Japan NUM-
Der Of ships out of all proportion to her
population or wealth.
with half our population" he added,
"and one-twentieth of our wealth. Japan
gets three ships to our five. The plan
is so generous to Great Britain and
Japan that we should not be asked to
make any concessions or pay any price
to secure such an agreement"
would welcome Tax Reduction.
The Senator added that not only Con-
rress but the whole American people
will welcome any plan for general re-
duction of armament which would
tighten the burden of taxation on the
American people and adoption OF any
agreement which would cause the ma
tions to quit the race for increased arms
and armament.
Now the reduction In the number OF
ships in the United states Navy has no
relation to the four Power treaty. The
plain truth is that 10 Is proposed to
make the reduction OF armament a
pack horse on whose back will be loaded
alliances made In the interest of Britain
and Japan and to cause America to
further the ambition Of Great Britain
and keep the Pacific"
In survey OF Americas position
Senator Reed declared this nation has
mo desire to go on any buccaneering
expedition. no imperialistic impulses
nor desire to enslave any other peoples.
We only desire to stay at homs and at
tend to our own business"
Then he quoted from Linooln's speech
made at Springfield In which Lincoln
argued that this nation because of it's
geogra phical position was safe from
ever being conquered by any other ma
ton.
I'VE demonstrated during the late
war;" concluded the Senator, that we
could feed the world and IL IL had been
necessary we could have proven that
we could have whipped the entire world.
At any rate we could and can hurl back
all invaders should the whole world at