The Washington herald., 1921-11-17

thrills thrilled The exutation of
triumph is in the diminuendo The con-
ference has settled down to routine 1t has be-
come conference of committees with world
sensation a background And now from
distance the ravens are collecting and the vutures
hover not far off. Their harsh notes jar on the
eGhoes of the jubilee chorus, but promise to grow
stronger unless vigorous choking is done by the
PLAIN folks at whose ears these dscordant notes
ass- aimed.
&.This conference is absolutely unique in that
..dS the only international gathering whose con-
Ck.sionS promise to be materially, if not wholly
influenced by public opinion 1t is the first time
psbc opinion has not been used has not been
led by ring to serve the hidden purposes
OF, assembled diplomats. For the first time the
folks know what they want and mean to have it.
They know, too. pretty nearly how to get it.
9 This influence would be as potent in any
other country as here in the United States Here
thSre practically government-controled
Newspapers. Almost take their policies ready
made from official sources and can be used to
deceive. to hide to further mere propaganda
Here, too, there is very great proportion Of in
dependent, individual judgment. What American
newspapers will not do, those of other countries
more nearly controlled, cannot do, and the people
Of all countries will have a chance to get from
this conference what they want and not merely
what their leaders chose to hand to them.
They recognize the ravens, the vultures and
those plausible birds with lovely feathers but no
meat. They know very we'll that this period of a
few days when everybody's has been around
everybody's neck in ,fulsome affection has been
period Of show days and that it largely depends
upon them whether the carressng hands
do or do not slip down in the direction of the
other fellows pocket. The conference has opened
with a great outburst Of world friendship 1t is
sincere, genuine and surely will be triumphant.
It.is the reaction not from war, because there is
supreme self-sacrihce and cooperation mutual de-
pendence and entire confidence in war; but from
the meanness, the jealouses, suspicious hatred and
greed which followed war. 1t is reaction from the
spirit OF sacrificing the other fellow which has
gripped so large part of the earth in the past
three years
The plain people are sick at heart of all this
as the cheers which everywhere have greeted the
program OF Secretary Hughes amply prove. They
arc determined to have this program, with more
rather than with less, of disarmament But even
it is recognized but the outward sign, symbol
of the greater agreement for peace. Back of
small fleets must be governments dedicated to
peace, or the limitation of navies has no meaning
save that expressed in taxes. If the nations at
the conference cannot reach agreement peace
assuring policies the other will not halt war. 1t
is but promise that having agreed far having
walked so far under the aegis of peace, they can
readily go the rest OF the way together.
Nor is what China wants demands or formu-
lates the crux of the situation China has done
nothing for herself and is incapable OF doing
anything for herself. She is land Of the i'm
Practicable of theory without practice, of revolu-
ton without progress. She represents neither a
nation nor a people. She is the patient to be
healed by the treatment Of others and that treat
ment is for others to prescribe, with genuine
intent to heal rather than bleed. AS wise voice
from Japan says, there is natural wealth enough
in China to make her a wonderful people with
unlimited wealth, and to share with all the world
first in its development and then in the market
created by Chinese purchasing power.
China has but few hundred miles of rail-
roads where she should have thousands She has
almost no highways. She lacks nearly all the ad:
juicts of modern progress. She cannot supply
these for herself in the first instance She has not
even learned to govern herself and the first of
the Far East problems lies in this fact She is
tesistess temptation and her future involving the
peace of the world, is not alone her problem.
UnIess this conference then, reaches a Far
East policy acceptable at least "in principle" or
as "a basis for further negotiations" its limita-
ton of naval ornaments will be but as sounding
brass and tinkling cymbals The ravens the
yunures and the fuss and feathers may croak,
swoop and futter that the great work has been
done that the Far East is too complicated and
too uncertain too full of dynamite and poison gas
and so had better be left undsturbed. 1t will
no, be so and cannot be. This cannot be Ameri-
can purpose and it is rot the purpose of the peo-
pies Of the nations most concerned
The Socialist vote in New York is assum-
tothl rerrtn de ~.