The Washington times., 1921-11-09
Mere Limitation of
Arnaments Is Futile,
Declares II. G.. Wells

of some restriction which will ham
per a possible antagonist much
more than it will hamper them
selves.
For instance, Japan t0oslld prob
ably be very pleased to reduce her
military expenditure 10 quite small
figures If the United States reduced
theirs to the same amount, because
the cost per head of maintaining SOL
diers under arms Is much less tn
Japan than tn A Ameyioa; and she
l0ouLd be still more ready 10 restrict
naval armament TO ships With a rd-
diiis of action of 5000 miles or less
because that would give her a free
hand Nth China and the Philippines.
That sort of hsggling was going
on between Britain and Germany
at The Hague at intervals before
the great war. Neither party be-
lieved in the peaceful intentions of
the other nor regarded these ne
gotiations as anything but strategic
moves. And as things were in
Europe it was difficult to regard
them in any other way.
No, the limitation of armaments
quite as much as the mitigation of
warfare is impossible until war has
been made impossible, and then the
complete extinction of armaments
follows without discussion; and war
can only be made impossible when
the powers of the world have done
what the thirteen original States
of the American Union found they
had to do after their independence
was won, and that is set up com
mon law and rule over themselves.
Such a project is a montrously
difficult one, no doubt, and 1t flies
in the face of a great masses of
patriotic cant and of natural pref
udices and natural suspicion, but
it is a thing that can be done. 1t
is the only thing that can be done
to avert the destruction of civiliza-
ton through war and war prepara-
ton.
Merging of Sovereignty
Is Held to Be Essential.
Disarmament and the limitation
of warfare without such a merging
of sovereignty look, at the first
glance, easier and more modest
proposals, but they suffer from the
fatal defect of absolute imprac-
ticability. They are things that can
not be made working realities. A
world that could effectually disarm
would be a world already at one,
and disarmament would be Of no
Importance whatever. Given stable
international relations, the world
would put aside its armaments as
naturally as a man takes OF his
coat in winter on entering q warm
house.
And as a previous article has
pointed out, wars, preparations Tor
war, and the threat Of war are only
the more striking aspect OF human
disunion at the present time. The
smashing up of the worlds currency
system and the progressive paralysis
of industry that follows on that is
much more immediate disaster. That
is rushing upon us. This war talk
between Japan and American may
end as abruptly as the snarling Of
two dogs overtaken by flood. There
may not be another great war after
all, because both in Japan and Amer
lea social disruption may come first.
Upon financial and economic ques-
tions the powers of the earth must
get together very quickly now or
perish; the signs get more impera-
tive every day; and if they get to-
gether upon these common issues,
then they will have little reason or
H. @. WELLS OUTLINE OF HISTORY
will prepare you for an Intelligent grasp OF ths
IL H. hour u