Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-11-18
Great Historical Event
England Meets Issue Frankly
Admirable Address of BalfOur

|
| elusion of other matter but the able
statement of Englands position at TINS
time is thought to warrant the pub
licity:
Il count myself among the fortunate
! of the earth in that was present, anu
! to that extent had a share in The pro-
ceedings Of last Saturday. They were
memorable. indeed. The, secret was
admirably kept. l hope that all The
secrets. so long as they ought to be Sc
crets, of our discussions will be as
Wen Kept. In my less sanguine mood
| | have doubts. But, however that
may be. the secret in this case was
most admirably kept, and | listened
to speech which l thought eloquent.
| Jude to the work of the conference
| which was about to open. or which.
| indie ed, had been opened by the Presl-
dent, without surprising that anything
very dramatic laid behind. And sud
denly l became aware, as l suppose ali
present became aware, that they were
assisting not merely at an eloquent
| and admirable speech, but at great
historical event. 1t was led up with
such art The transition seemed so
natural that when the blow fell, when
the speaker uttered the memorable
words which have now gone round ana
| found echo in every quarter OF the
civilized world. it came as a shock of
profound surprise; it excited the sort
| of emotions We have when some who'll
| ly new event springs into view, and we
| felt that new chapter in the history
of world reconstruction had been wari-
| ly opened.
MIR. Chairman, the absolute simplici-
| ty of the procedure, the easy transition
and the great dramatic climax were
the perfection of art. which shows that
| the highest art and the most perfect
| simplicity are very often, indeed very
commonly. combined.
Now. l said would explain. if
was allowed. why / venture to rise
first today to deal with the subject
which is in all our hearts AS L have
| limited. it is because the British EN-
pirc and Great Britain, these two to-
gcthcr. are more profoundly concerned
with all that touches matters naval
than it is possible for any other ma
tion to be, and this not. believe me, for
any reasons of ambition. not for any
| reasons drawn from history or tradi-
ton, but from the hard. brutal neccs-
stiles of claims ana obvious facts.
There never has been in the history
of the world great empire constitIt-
cd as the British empire is. 1t is
fact no doubt familiar to everybody
whom l am addressing at the present
moment. but has everybody whom
am addressing imaginatively con pre-
cisey what the situation of the British
Empire is in this connection?
| Most of my audience are citizens of
the United States. The United States
stands solid. imprcgnable. self-suffi-
cicnt. all its lines of communication
protected doubly proteced. completely
protected from any conceivable hostile
act. 1t Is not merely that YOU are
110.G0G,000 of population; it is not that
YOU are the wealthicst country in the
world: il is that the whole ccnfigura-
ton of your country. the geographical
! position of your country. is such that
YOU are wholly immune from the par
| tiCular pcrlls to which. from tho ma
fttBa g no -
! subjected.
The Needs Of Great Britain
Surprising. for example. that your
| Western states for whose safety you
are responsible, were suddenly re-
moved 10000 miles across the sea.
! Surprising that YOU found that the
very heart of your empire. the very
heart of this great state. was a small.
a crowded island depending for over
sea trade not merely, not chiefly, for
its Injuries. but depending upon over
sea communication for the raw ma
terial of those manufactures by which
| its super abundant population lives;
depending upon the same oversee COM
munication for the food upon which
they subsist. Surprising it was a ia
I miliar thought in your minds that
| there never was at any moment of the
year within the limits of your State
more than seven weeks food for the
population, and that that food had to
| be replenished by oversee communica-
| tion. Then, if YOU will draw that pic
| ture. and if You will see all TIL it i'm
plies and all that it carries with it.
YOU will understand why it Is that
| every citizen of the British Empire
whether he comes from the fat domin-
| ions of the Pacific or whether he lives
/ in the small island in the North Sea.
never can forget that it is by sea COM
| munication that he lives and that with
out sea communication he and the ems
| pire to which he belongs would perish.
| Now. ladies and gentlemen, do not
suppose that | am uttering laments
! over the weakness of my empire. lar
| from it. We are strong, ! hope in the
vigorous life of its constituent parts
We are strong. l hope, in the ardent
patriotism which binds us all together
But THIS stategic weakness is obvious
to everybody who reflects: it is present
| in the minds of our enemies, il we
have enemies. Do not let it be forgot
ten by our friends.
These reflections. with your kind
ness, l have INDUCED in, in order to ex-
plain why it is thai / 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 II
with admiration and approval. We
agree with it in spirit and in principle.
we look to it as being the basis of the
greatest reform in the matter OF arma-
merit and preparation for war that has
ever been conceived or carried out by
the courage and patriotism of states
mon. | do not pretend, of coursc-it
would be folly to prctend-that this or
any other scheme. by whatever genius
IT may nave been contrived. can deal
with every subject; can cover the
whole ground of international recon-
struction. 1t would be folly 20 make
the attempt and it would he folly to
pretend that the attempt has yet been
made in any single scheme as was
clearly explained by the Secretary of
state on Saturday. The scheme deals.
and deals only, with three nations
which owr the largest fleets at present
in tho world. 1t therefore of necessi-
~. omits all consideration for tho time
being of those European nations who
have diminished their fleets. ard who
at present have no desire. and | hope
! mover will have any desire. to own
! nccts beyond tho necessities that ma
.tional honor and national defense re-
lQuire..
| Again. it docs not touch question
which every man coming from Europe
! must feel to he a question of immense
and almost paramount Importance. l
mean the heavy burden of land arn11-
| ments. That is left on one side. to be
dealt with by other schemes and in
other ways.
One of Biggert Things yet Done
| WHAT it does is surely one of the
| biggest things that has ever Yet been
| done by constructive craftsmanship.
! It does deal with the three great fleets
of the world. and in tho broad spirit
! in which il deals with those fleets i'll
| the proportion of disarmament which
! it lays down for those fleets. the gov