The Washington herald., 1921-09-29

Agreement to Halt Build
ing Ships Held to be
Practical.
WILL TURN DOWN
PACIFIST VIEWS
British Expected to Aid
in Solving Problems
of Far East.

policy in the international confer
ence on the limitation of armament
will be begun next week when Elihu
Root will arrive in Washington to
confer with the other members OF
the American delegation-Secreta
of State Hughes. Senator Lodge
and Senator Underwood.
II is now possible to outline the
considerations which will guide the
American delegation in the nego-
tiations to achieve what is hoped
Will be a notable step toward the
preservation of world peace.
To hold fast to the practical and
thun visionary aims will be the con-
slant endeavor of the American del
egatfon, in whose membership prac-
ticality and absence of visionary
tendencies are a common trait.
seIf-defense Imperative.
The American delegates approach
their task agreed that complete
naval or military disarmament is
impractical at this stage of the de-
vslopment of mankind. A measure
of national self-defense, it is con-
ceived. will be imperative for gen.
erations to come. No other nation
would agree to complete disarma-
ment. and manifestly the United
States could not afford to disarm
alone. Hence. complete disarma-
ment is classed as visionary. and it
Il desired that the people generally
should understand that this is TO be
conference, not on disarmament
but on the reduction of armament
TO the extent il may prove possible
q agree upon.
An international agreement to re-
strict and reduce armament grad
u"Ily does appear to the American
government to be intensely practi-
c-!- True. IL may turn out to be
Impractical to reduce land arma-
ment on account of the attitude of
rance and Italy France. particu-
larly. would require guarantees OF
protection from a restored Germany.
wsich il might prove difficult to
provide,
Would Halt Naval Building.
But when the question is mar
rowed down to the reduction of
naval armament by the three great
naval powers, the United States.
Great Britain and Japan it appears
still more practical. The United
States, therefore, will go into the
conference prepared to enter into a
binding agreement to halt naval
building, but by agreement only.
Each party to the agreement must
curtail its building program to the
same extent as the others. The Navy
Department is already drawing up
various plans, under any of which
an equal reduction of armament
would be achieved.
President Harding has taken a
frm stand against the pacifists who
would have the United States reduce
armament even though other nations
refuse and his views are shared by
the American delegates. The other
nations at the council board will
learn that reduction of armament is
acceptable. but not imperative from
the American viewpoint. If other
nations are unwilling to enter into
a fair agreement, the United States
will continue naval building with
resources that will enable her TO
outstrip Great Britain and leave
Japan far in the rear.
ADVANTAGE Lies With 4. $.
An indication Of the advantage
Of the United States, IL the naval
building contest should continue
unabated. is AFFORDED by the statis-
tics which place the annual earn
ing power Of the American nation
n, s6S 200, 900. 900. of Great Britain
AZ $4,000. 900. 900 and of Japan at
50 600. 900. 900. The British burden
Of navy building would be nearly
twice. that of Japan nearly eight
times the American burden.
To remove the causes of friction
in the Far East and the Pacific
which initiate against reduction Of
armament, also appears intensely
practical. Pressure upon Japan to-
consent to the settlement of the
ouestions relating to the status of
china will be exceedingly strong
Great Britain presumably will exert
nowerful influence in that direction.
for Great Britain not only desifes
TO achieve a basis for the reduction
Of armament, but would prefer to
substitute a general international
understanding on Far Eastern
alliance.
n the conference proves a GUS
.ess we shall have a settlement of
some. il not all. Pacific and Far
Eastern questions and an agree
nncnt on reduction of armament. II
A fails, We shall know where we
are at and what we must be pre-
pared for.
The States Department was ad-
yised yesterday of the selection of
three of the members Of the Japa-
nese delegation to the conference
The precise nur,Ser Of delegates
Japan will have in the conference
has not been determined, it being
assumed that the designation OF the
other member or members is await
ing the settlement of this question
nv other powers and also the deci-
sion of Premier Hara as to whether
he will head the delegation from
Tokyo.
The three delegates chosen are
Minister of the Navy Tomosaburo
Kato, Prince Tokugawa. and Baron
Shidehara. japanese Ambassador TO
the United States. Minister kato
enjoys international celebrity as q
naval strategist. He was chief of
staff to Admiral Togo at the battle
of Tsushima. which resulted in the
annihilation OF the enemy forces.
The State Department has not
been officially advised of an increase
of the British delegation to six
members. although IL is the ex-
Ipectation that this number will be
|sent in order to afford representa-
tion to some of the British self-gov- |
|erning dominions.