The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-15


! Far from it. We are strong, 1 hope, in
the vigorous life OF its constituent parts
otism which binds US all together. But
| this strategic weakness is obvious to every
body who reflects; it is present in the
/ minds Of our enemies, If We have enemies.
| Do not let it be forgotten by our friends.
| ''These reflections, with your Kindness
! I have INDUCED in, in order to explain
Why it is mat / am addressing you at the
| present time We have had to consider
| and we have considered the great scheme
| laid before you by our chairman. We have
considered it with admiration and ap-
| prevail. We agree with it in spirit and in
! of the greatest reform in the matter of
ornaments and preparations for war that
has even been conceived or carried out by
! the courage and patriotism of statesmen
| 1 do not pretend, of cOurse-it would be
folly to pretend-that it or any other
scheme. by whatever genius it may have
I been contrived. deal with every sub
| ject: cover the whole ground of in
| ternational reconstruction 1t would be
1 folly to make the attempt and it would be
| folly to pretend that the attempt has as
| yet been made in any single scheme. As
retary of state Saturday the scheme
deals and deals only, with three nations
| which own the largest fleet at present in
1 the world. 1t, therefore, of necessity,
| omits all consideration for the time being
| of those European nations who have
! diminished their fleets and who at present
| have no desire and l hope never will have
any desire to own. fleets beyond the neces-
sites that national honor and national
Again. it does not touch a question
| which every man coming from Europe
must feel to be n question of immense and
| almost paramount importance; l mean the
| heavy burden of land armament. That is
| left on one side to be dealt with by other
schemes and in other ways. What it does
/ is surely one of the biggest things that
has ever yet been done by constructive
craftsmanship. 1t does deal with the three
| great fleets OF the world and in the broad
! spirit in which 1t deals with these fleets,
/ in the proportion of disarmament which it
! Inv
of the country which l represent is in the
fullest and henrtiest sympathy with the
! brought before us for our consideration.
They have, as we think most rightly. taken
the. battle fleet as the aggression unit
which they have in the main to consider;
and in the battle fleet you must include
those auxiliary ships without which
modern battle fleet has neither eyes nor
ears has little power of defense against
certain forms of attacks and little power
of observation; little power of dealing with
any equal foe to which it may be opposed.
| Proportions Acceptable.
Taking those two as really belonging
! to subject, namely. the battle fleet,
taking those two, the battleships, them
| essary to a battle fleet we think that the
proportion between the various countries
is acceptable; we think the limitation of
should be acceptable: we firmly believe
that it will be accepted.
''1n my view, the message which has
| been sent around the world on Saturday
| is not message which is going to be re-
Dg 1hoIe 1te1 10 % rie t he o
| ceiyed by them with warm, hearty appC'-
val and with every effort at full, loyal
and complete cooperation.
Il think it would be i'll fitting on such
an occasion as this if 1 were to attempt
| to go into any details. There are ques-
| lions which can only be adequately dealt
with in committee. At the first glance, for
example, and give it merely as an ex-
ample, our experts are inclined to think
that perhaps
mage has been permitted for submarines.
Submarines are class of vessel most
in fact, in the late war, were most grossly
abused. We quite admit the power of the
submarine. 1t is the defensive weapon of
the weak and it would be impossible or if
possible, it might be well thought unde-
sirable, to abolish them altogether. But
| the amount of submarine tonnage per-
United by the new scheme is far in eX-
cess. 1 believe, of the Tonnage possessed
by any nation and at the present moment
and only throw it out as a suggestion
that it may be well worth eoDsidering
whether that tonnage might not be fur
limiting the amount of tonnage. it might
not be practicable and if practicable, de-
sirable to forbid altogether the eonstruc-
I ton of those vast submarines of great
size which are not intended for defense.
which are not the weapon of the weaker
party, whose whole purpose is attack and
whose whole purpose is probable attack
by method which civilized nations would
regard with horror.
Questions of Detail Later.
However, there may be other questions
of detail, questions connected with replace
ment questions connected with cruisers
which are not connected with or required
for fleet action. But those matters for
consideration by the technical experts and
however they decided, they do not touch
the main outline of the structure which
the United States government desires
erected and which we earnestly wish to
help them in erecting.
THAT structure stands. rs it seems to
I I,afu
thinking that in its broad outlines, what
ever may happen in the course of the dis
structure will remain as it presented
by its original architects, for the admira-
ton and for the use of mankind.
Il have little more to say. 1t is easy
TO estimate In dollars or in pounds, shill-
ing and pounds, the saving to the taxpayer
OF each of the nations concerned which the
adoption of this scheme will give. 1t is
easy to show that the relief is great 1t
is easy to show that indirectly it will as
hope, and believe, greatly stimulate in
dustry, national and international and do
much to diminish the difficulties under
ment laboring. All that can be weighed,
measured, counted, all that is a matter of
INJURIES. t'uI tnere IS something IN TINS
scheme which is above and beyond nu-
meFical calculation. There is something
which goes to the root, which is concerned
with the highest international morality.
This scheme, after all-what does it do
1t makes idealism a practical proposition.
at takes hold of the dreams which re-
formers, poets, publicists, even potentates
as we heard the other day, have from time
to time nut before mankind as the goal
to which human endeayOr should aspire.
a narrative OF all the attempts made.
OF all the schemes advanced for diminish
ing the horrors of war, is a melancholy
one Some fragments of 1t were laid before
you by your chairman Saturday. They
were not exhilerating. They showed how
easy it is to make professions, and how
difficult it is to carry those professions
into effect.
Calls Scheme Landmark.
''What makes this scheme n landmark
is that combined with the profession is the
practice that in addition to the expression. |
the eloquent expression of good inteRtiOns,
in which the speeches of men of all nations
have been rich. that way has been found
in which. in the most striking fashion. in
n manner which must touch the magma
ton Of everybody. which must come home
to the dullest brain and the hardest heart, |