Milford chronicle., 1921-11-18
UNCLE TED'S
BEDTIME STORIES


1T seems mighty hard these days
with the many big men in session at
Washington for the greatest confer
ence in the history of the world to
talk of other things" said Uncle Ted,
after the kiddies had managed once
more, as usual, to persuade him to
give them a story.
q would like to tell you a story
about hunting trip 1 just took into
the deep woods, but I'm afraid thaC
wouldn't tell you very much you don
already know. If remember correct
ly, 1 have told you before how deeply
l was impressed when 1 was in WASH
ington with the sincerity of the men
who are there to accomplish some
thing toward that seemingly impossl-
BILE goal of peace. 1 can't help but
feel that there is little else important
today than to get behind our Presl-
dent and boost him in this great eff
fort. He has no doubts but that the
conference will ucceed-succeed to
the point of cutting down the terrible
display of armament with its natural
attendant cost and heavy taxation up
on the people of the several countries
of the world. Many newspapers and
magazines throughout the United
States and I imagine the world for
that (matter) are taking a pessim1s-
tic attitude toward the whole affair.
Where they get that idea 1 cannot see.
"One of the biggest delegates to this
meeting and a representative OF
mighty important country is Lord
Lee of Fareham, head of the British
admiralty. When he landed in this
country and was asked what he
thought the chances were of the con-
ference ending in a failure he said
he was certainly not prepared even
to consider the possibilities of failure.
He explained, to admit failure would
be to say that the world was crazy
with the idea of war and could never
get over it."
But, Uncle Ted" said Jack, 'You
have said there will always be wars"
Il said, Jack, and still lsay, that so
long as human beings are human ana
constituted as they are today, so that
individuals quarrel with one another,
then nations are bound to have differ
ences. 1 do not believe that it is pos
sible, and certainly not now, to get
the countries of the world to disarm.
That is not, in fact, the idea. If the
meeting in Washington results in
CUTTING DOWN the terrible outlay
for arms, it has taken the biggest
step in the history of the world to-
wards world peace.
"Then have you looked at it this
way. No matter what we think Of GER
tain countries, the people are more
or less alike. The majority want no
war and are anxious and even de-
mand that something be done to help
the situation. Right in Washington
today is a 80 year old Japanese wom- |
an who has travelled the thousands OF
miles from her country with petl-
ton signed by thousands of Japanese
women urging that something be done
to lessen the chances Of their sons
being butchered on the fields of bat
tie. And so it is in every country rep
resented at the meeting. The delegates |
will not dare return to their homes
and report failure. They must sue
ceed and the weight of what is ex-
pected at home will have big effect
and solve many a tangle that even
the strict rules of diplomacy would
fail to solve.
"Since 1 talked to you last, Presi-
dent Harding named an advisory COM
mittee to assist the four American
delegates. The meeting is now under
way and the members are getting
down to hard work. President Hard
ing could not have possibly named
finer advisory committee. He over
looked no class of people by those he
selected. There are Republicans and
men and women, holding
theories of all kinds, represented.
fThere is no doubt in my mind that
he conference will show results. 1t
IS only a question of how far the
agreements will go in limiting navies
and armies and reducing the huge
costs that nations are now paying for
Keeping up the strength of their de-
'ences. With the settlement of dis
)utes that now form the excuse for
big naVies and keeping large
.g.mies in the field, nations will have
10 further reason for enlarging the1r
orces, and they will be quite willing
o put limits upon them il all other I
do the saIne."