Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-10-22
D|SARM SUGGESTION
OFFERED MR.. HARDING
j. A. n. Hopkins Tells What
America Should Demand at
Coming Conference.


j. A. IL. Hopkins. chairman of the
Committee OF Forty-eight, has writer
to President Harding making a suR-
gestion for the consideration Of the
disarmament conference. His letter
Is published In the "SearchlIght" and
is self explanat ry, as follows:
The Honorable Warren @. Harding,
President OF the United States,
White House, Washington, ID. G.
My dear Mr.. President:
Now that you have designated the
delegates who will represent America
at the Disarmament Conference. II Is
perhaps fair TO assume that you de,
sire TO instruct these gentlemen as TO
the wishes of the American people IN
respect TO the purposes OF this Con-
ference. with view to achieving these
| purposes.
III ~, perhaps, unfortunate that OF
the four Delegates, namely AIessrs.
Lodge, Hughes. Underwood. and Root.
the two first mentioned have Indicated
by their public utterances n difference
In their individual views as compared
TO the underlying purpose I'm the minds
OF Senator Borah and the other origi.
nators or the movement which resulted
IN the calling of the disarmament
Conference.
But, nevertheless. all of thes,
gentlemen are experienced diplomats
They know that they cannot get
something for nothing. For II can b,
said with no disrespect and with abso.
lite truth that, under existing con.
ditions the Disarmament Couferenc.
VIII be n trading" proposition. Eaci
nation will doubtless instruct it's dele
gates az 10 what Il seeks TO carr,
away from this Conference and IN,
approximate price IL can afford to pay
For this Is the essence of internationa
diplomacy.
/ am inclined to believe that Their
is considerable element OF the Ameri
can people who consider that ou
Government should demand from Eng
land, France, and Italy the immediat
, payment of the interest already over
! due. applicable to the vast sums whic
} we loaned to them I'm the prosecutio
! OF the war.
: am equally convinced that Il is nc
the desire of the American people I
consider for one moment tho gratu
: tous cancellation of these debts, eitht
! in respect TO interest or principal
= Furthermore. / am heartily in az
= cord with the popular yearning f.
disarmament and world peace, III
o desirability of which you have so ofte
4 voiced.
% This naturally suggests. to me Il
Il following question: Are the Amer
. can people prepared to instruct o,
s. delegates 10. state openly when u
+ Conference convenes what we wal
j. and what we will pay for il? II so. it
+ perhaps not inappropriate TO sugge
d the odvisability of submitting the 70
g lowing ultimatum to the Englis
u French. and Italian delegates.
We will not cancel your indebte
y ness gratis. nor are we content
u longer postpone the payment of q
overdue interest thereon. But IL y,
y and the Japanese delegates will &C
% lectively agree TO disarIn or agr
II upon n uniform and progressive ra;
OF disarmament. America will 70
with you in so doing and will STINT
taneously cancel or reduce your i
debtedness to the American people
the same extent and in the same rat
There is, however, no other way
which the American people will co
sent either to cancel or 20 reduce yo
n financial obligation.
u The acceptance of such an off
would be economical for all concernt
II would solve the problem and ACHE
IS the purpose for which the Disarm
ment Conference was called. II wou
reduce enormously the bursting {
budgets of every nation and relic
the increasing financial pressure viii
ne is closing in upon every individual.
1g 1t is not unreasonable to suppo
tn that such an agreement would me
es with the hearty appreciation of Z
r American public. Will you. as I
mouthpiece ofF11O,O00.0O0 people, Ia
ch cognizance of this suggestion a
he ascertain, through the publicity cha
at nels which are open TO you, whett
as in presenting such an ultimatum c
as delegates would be correctly voici
is. the wishes and desires of our citize
ne ship? Respectfully yours,
w. j. A, II. Hopkins
as
he