Evening star., 1921-11-13
BY n. o. MESSENGER.

~ RESIDENT IIARDING,, In his
- address at the services at AT
lington in memory OF the un-
known American dead in the
great war, presented in few SEN
tences the most logical and convinc-
ing brief in support Of the contention
that the outcome OF the arms hnita-
ton must be a success. He had been
describing q mock battle he had re-
Gently witnessed and said this:
"As the panorama Of unutteraoie
destruction visualized the horrors OF
modern conflict, there grew on me the
sense Of the failure of civllzatioh
which can leave it's problems to such
cruel arbitrament.
Surely, no one in authority with
human attributes and a full appraisal
of the patriotic loyalty to shis country
men, could ask the manhood of king
dom, empire or republic to make such
sacrifice until all reason had failed'
until appeal to justice through under-
standing had been denied. until every
effort OF love and consideration ior
fellowmen had been exhausted, until
freedom itself and inviolate honor
had been brutally threatened"
In the face of such a suggestion
appealing alike to common sense ana
the highest humanitarianism, would
IL not be frightful responsibility
which an individual or nation would
assume in defeating the object OF the
conference?
X X X X
In that utterance in which he sug-
rested war only after freedom itself
and inyiolate honor had been threat
ened." did he not establish the max
imum limitation for excuses to MAIN
tain armament and give justincation
for the maintenance of means of self
defense up to that point?
X X u *
To be sure he was addressing him.
self to the prevention of war, but 1t
must be remembered that one OF the
objects of the conference in addition
to the Limitation Of armament Is the
settlement of questions existing and
likely to arise In the Pacific and the
far east which might lead to war and
it is also a fact generally conceded
that lessenfng of -warlike prepara-
tions tend to reduce the possibilities
Of war.
All the nations participating in the
conference are agreeable to reducing
armaments if it can be done by COM
mon consent and in way which VIII
not place any nation at the mercy OF
another. Practical people of every
country are likewise determined. to
keep their nation in condition to
preserve it's safety against agrees
sion. Armaments therefore can be
reduced, but not done away with, and
this fact the President recognizes.
But it will probably impress the or
dinary reader that the President had
In mind the other objective Of the
conference, the settlement of disputes
BY resort to the dictates Of common
sense and misunderstanding. =.
Well, the idea is going to have
try-out at the coming conference, at
any rate. The countries most inter-
ested in the Pacific and the far east
propose to gather around a council
board and see II civilization is indeed
a failure. 1t will be supreme test
The trusting millions who have sent
their statesmen and leading thinkers
to the conference evidently have faith
that it can be done. If the statesmen
and the leaders fail they will have to
supply a mighty good excuse or they
would better not go home.
1t is a significant augury Of sue
cess that the undertaking to settle
these questions proceeds before the
questions have become acute, and to
that extent there should be an absence
of passion engendered by sense Of
wrong or injustice already commit