New Britain herald., 1921-11-08
Memher Andii Hnrcnn Of Circulation.
THE MLLENNICM NOT HERE.

As the day approaches for opening the conference on the limitation of armaments,all peoples within the pale of civilization are wondering just what President Harding hopes to &C., complish. Is the world to cast aside all its armor, are the swords now hung in arsenas ready to be drawn from their scabbards at a moments s notice to be beaten into the proverb- ial plowshares?
 It is with no hope of gaining such an end that the President of the United States has invited leading na- tions and monarches to send dele gates to Washington for a frank dis cussion of the question. A friend re- gently wrote to the president asking for an explanation of the object of the discussion, and in his answer he said:
 "I think I ought to correct your impression about the expectation of universal disarmament. It is very erroneous even to suggest that we contemplate going so far. If we can get reasonable limitation we shall think that great things have been accomplished.
 By reasonable limitation I mean something practical that there is a chance to accomplish, rather than an ideal that there would be no chance to realize. It is necessary to deal with actualities; to do the best pos sible. Universal disarmament would be beyond the hope of realization. Even its desirability at this, time might we'll be questioned. Thousands of years of history recording the wars and controversies of mankind suggest revolutionary reorganization to make universal disarmament possible. A cAnsideration of the present state of tho world must, l think, enforce the conclusion that this is not hopeful time to undertake that kind of rev olution."
 President Harding's words re- assure the country that he is not try ing to put a bit into the mouth of a vision. His is a practical, common sense plan which must have the ap- proval of every level headed person. To attempt to gain complete disarm- ament with so many controversies burning the pages of the days his which no nation could afford to take.
 If it is possible to compose national differences and to allay suspicious enough to secure a reduction in arm aments, the conference will not be in vain.
 Out of every dollar spent for the cost of government in the United States, the army and navy take 1S7 cents. This is a reduction from the figures of past years built is suffi- cient to impress on our minds the enormous strain on the treasury which the military arm of our gov ernment imposes. That amount does not represent the cost of waging war, simply the upkeep of the mili- tary machine. War costs about 93 cents out of every dollar, leaving only seven cents to be spent in construc- tive works. The annual bill of the army and navy is $7S70O0, 900 of which s4OO,oOO,OOO goes to the for mer and $3S7O0O,OOO to the latter If we can escape this enormous ex- pense, if we can make any apreciable decrease in its total, it will be a bet ter country to live in.
 The conference is only what it's name implics-an international con- gress called for the purpose of limit ing armaments. But it is begin ming which deserves to have behind 1t the hearts and hopes of every hu- man being whose mind works in straight line.