The New York herald., 1921-10-14
Armament Cards on the Table.


Armament Cards ON the Table.
President HARDING'e letter to Miss
ELLA L. FREED, explaining what can
be reasonably expected Of the inter
national conference on the Limitation
of armaments and what capnot be
reasonably expected, is the view Of
sanity and sense which must con
slider what is practical and possible
as against what is visionary and i'm
possible. The heart of the matter
is in what the President declared
as follows.
"By reasonable limitation I mean
something practicable that there is a
chance to accomplish, rather than an
ideal that there would be no chance
to realize. 1t is necessary to deal
with actualities to do the best possi-
BILE. Universal disarmament would
be beyond hope Of realization; even
it's desirab.lity at this time might
well be questioned.
ION the other hand, a world with
the horrors Of recent experiences
scared into it's mind, and staggering
under the load Of debt and arma-
ments. has generously justified our
hope for a favorable attitude toward
the practical effort, the sincere be-
ginning. that we are attempting.
The fine spirit in which leading ma
tions have received the invitation to
meet and consider these things il al
together encouraging. To undertake
the impossible and fail might leave
our last state worse than our first.
The attitude of the nations warrants
confidence that We will not fail but
rather that substantial results wiz be
accomplished, calculated to lessen
the armament burden and to reduce
the danger Of armed conflict. / feel
that in such an effort we are en-
titled to the support Of all people
who would be glad-as can assure
you would be-to see still more
accomplished If possible"
Both individuals and newspaper
that are clamoring irrationally fo1
the complete disarmament whicl
scarcely single great Power of thu
Old World would think of. much lesl
negotiate, will do well to consider
what mischief . they may breed
whether Intentionally or not.
AS for this country, 1t is beyont
question that it would like very mucl
to see and will do all 1t can do Il
achieve a lessening Of military es
Establishments which will curtail eco
nomic waste, lower taxes and lesser
the chances Of war for our own pee
pie and the peoples of all Christen
dom. But, on the other hand, ther'
is no shadow of doubt that this coun
try will be entirely governed in wha
it does In respect Of the limitation o
armaments by what the other nations
do. If they agree to a sharp reduc
tion America will gladly match them
What they are unwilling to do O
cannot do we will not do.
The prime purpose Of the inter
national conference, as wisely ant
humanely designed and as explicitl!
stated in President HARDINo's invi
tation to the Powers, Is that the.
should join the United States in put
ting all their armament cards on th'
table. 1t is from that point, whel
the cards are or are not put on tn
table, that the conference can pro
ceed to negotiate or arrange practi
cal limitation Of armament, and from
no other.
II the nations are to 90 further II
the matter of armaments, or IL othe
questions are to be taken up thal
those already provided for, 1t vii
depend on what the Powers are prt
pared to do and will actually do alon
with us in the way Of beginning a
tightening the military load.