Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-13
4 High American Precedent
For Armament Restriction

4 High American Precedent
For Armament Restriction,
TOR the forthcoming world conference on
Limitation Of ornaments there Is
most interesting precedent. In the
autumn Of 1915 it was, under the cloudy att
ermath of a bitterly waged war, that james
Monroe, then Secretary of State, wrote to John
Quincy Adams, then at the Court of st. James,
in this wise:
'"The information you give Of orders
having been issued by the British Gov
eminent to increase it's naval force on
the Lakes is confirmed by intelligence
from that quarter of measures having
been actually adopted for the purpose.
1t is evident, if each party augments its
force there with view to obtaining the
ascendency over the othef, thatvast ex-
pense will be incurred, and the danger of
collision augmented in like degree. The
President is sincerely DESTROYS to pre-
vent an evil which it is presumed is equal
ly to be deprecated by both governments.
He, therefore, authorizes you to propose
to the British Government such an ar
rangement respecting the naval forces to
be kept on the Lakes by both govern
ments will demonstrate their pacific
policy and secure their peace. He is
willing to confne it on each side to
certain moderate number of armed YES
sells and the smaller the number the
more agreeable to him; or to abstain al
together from an armed force beyond
that used for the revenue. You will.
bring this subject under the consider
alton of the British Government immedi-
ately after the receipt of this letter.
From this sugge stion and the ensuing ne
gotiations came an agreement that the naval
forces to be maintained on the Great LaEes
: by the respective Governments should be lin
tied on Lake Ontario to one vessel, mot ex-
ceeding one hundred tons burthen and armed
with one eghteen-pound cannon" on the up
per Lakes to two vessels and on Champlain to
one each Deing of the tonnage and armament
first described. All other armed vessels on
those waters were dismantled, leaving no
more than a policing squadron And for
more than a hundred years no war cloud has
brooded either there or along the remainder
of the four thousand miles of unfortifed
border.
Of this fruitful compact made at a time
when international thought and feeling were
less amenable than now to ideals of world
peace and cooperation the Scientific Ameri-
man truly observes: "You may search the
records of diplomacy as far back as diplomacy
has existed, and, find no single act that dis
plays broader wisdom or greater moral cour-
age, or that has been more prolific of bene-
fetal results" Wise indeed, surprisingly
wise, was that craftsmanship which, in day
of peculiarly selfish reactions and of diplo-
matte methods fashioned after the Congress
of Vienna came boldly and simply forward
with war-averting plan which common men
could grasp and under which hostile COM
petition would give way to mutually helpful
co-working. Owlish bureaucrats and lingo
journalists, along with pot-paTnched, saucer
minded politicians, all of whom abound to-
day, were alarmed and arrayed against the
Monroe proposal. Naturally they missed it's
large meaning and splendid possibilities, just
as the Senate majority missed the true mean
ing and possibilities of a League of Nations.
But in 1915 the competent thinkers at Wash
ington and at London prevailed, the idea of
armament limitation, as applied to a single
but exceedingly vital region, triumphed, and
the result has been more than century of
constructive peace, where policy less far
visioned might we'll have brought destructive
wars.
Occasions a-plenty there have been which
hostile-tempered and heavily armed neigh
bors would have made causes of war. Re-
peatedly the commercial interests Of the
United States and Great Britain have clash
ed, or seemed to clash and in 1895 differ
ences on the Venezuelan issue reached
stage at which Mr.. Olney was moved to de
clare: To-day the United States is prac
tically sovereign on this continent, and 1T
fiat is law upon the subjects to which it con
fines it's imterpositon." Imagine such in
terchanges flung back and forth across
border bristling with guns and battleships
1t was not merely the absence Of great arm
aments between American and British do
minions on this continent that prevented
war, but undoubtedly the presence of grea
ornaments would have tempted to war. Tie
of LANGUAGE and literature and tradition
have done much for happy understanding
between the chief households of the English
speaking family through these one hun
dred and six years of fruitful peace. Blu
such ties alone would hardly have counter
acted the influence of a continuous sabre
rafting. Never since the Lakes were clear
ed of battle fleets and the four THOUSAND
miles of border left without fortress IA
there been controversy between these PEG
pies which arbitration failed to settle. Blu
had those waters been a-swarm with cruis
ers and dreadnaughts, and that oceanic
ocean boundary frowning with bayonets
would not the atmosphere have been far les
favorable for arbitration? Would not the fire
eaters and demagogues have been far NOR
potent?
In this time of world confusion, when al
peoples, sore burdened with taxation for tn
upkeep and amending increase of competitive
ornaments, will welcome sane stron
leadership toward the security of goodwill
America we'll afford to take a lea
from her own history and follow the clear