The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-11-16

..., terms y
pending upon the same oversee
communication for the food upon
which they subsist. Surprising 1t
was a familiar Thought in your
minds that there never were at any
moment of the year within the
limits of your State. more than
seven weeks food for the popuiA-
ton. and that that food had to be
replenished by oversee communich-
ton. Then. If you will draw that
picture. and II you will see all that
1t implies and all that 1t carries
with 1t. you will understand why
1t is that every citizen of the Brit
fsh Empire. whether he comes
from the far domInions OF the Pa
cific or whether he lives in the
small island in the North Seas.
never can forget that 1t is by sea
communication that he lives. and
that without sea communication he
and the empire to which he belongs
would perish.
Now. ladies' and gentlemen, do
not suppose that l am uttering
laments over the weakness of ny
empire. Far from it We ars
strong. hope. in the vigorous life
of its constituent parts. We are
strong, I hope, in the ardent pa
triotism which binds us all to-
gether. But this strategic weak
\ ness is obvious to everybody who
reflects; 1t is present in the minds
of our enemies, II we have enemies.
Do not let 1T be forgotten by our
friends.
Questions Left UntOuched.
These reflections, with your kind
ness. have INDUCED in In order
to explain why it Is that 1 am ad-
dressing you at the present time. We
have had to consider. and we have
considered, the great scheme laid be-
fore you by our chairman. We have
considered 1t with admiration and ap-
proval. We agrae with 1t in spirit
and in principle. We look to 1t as
being the basis OF the greatest re-
form in the matter of ornaments and
preparations for war that has ever
been conceived or carried out by the
courage and patriotism Of statesmen.
do not pretend. Of course-it would
be folly to pretend-that this or any
other scheme. by whatever genius
It may have been contrived, can deal
with every subject: can cover the
4 whole ground OF International re
construction. 1t would be folly to
make the attempt, and 1t would be
folly to pretend that the attempt
has as yet been. made in any single
scheme. As was most clearly ex-
1 plained by the Secretary of State
/ on Saturday the scheme deals. and
deals only, with the three nations
which own the largest fleets at pres
emit Of the world 1t. therefore, or
necessity, omits all consideration for
the time being of those European
nations which have diminished their
fleets. and which at present have no
desire. and l hope never will hayc
any desire, to own fleets beyond
the necessities that national honor
and national defense require.
Burdens ON Land.
Again. 1t does not touch a ques-
ton which every man coming from
Europe must feel to be a question
of immense and almost paramount
Importance; I mean the heavy bur-
zen Of land armament. That Is left
enc side, to be dealt with by other
schemes and in other ways. What It
does is surely one of the bigg est
trinEs that has ever yet been done
| by constructive statesmanshiD. 1t
does deal with the three great fleets
of the world. and in the broad sSirit
IN which 1t deals with these fleets.
in the proportion of disarmament
which 1t lays down for those fleets,
the government of the country which
l represent is in 'he fullest and the
heartiest sympathy with the polio;
which the Unit I'd Stares has brought
before us for our consideration. They
have, as we think most rightly. taken
the battle feet as the aggressive
unit which they have in the main
to consider: and In the battle fleet
you must include those auxiliary
ships without which a modern bat
tie fleet has neither eyes nor ears.
has little power Of defense against
certain forms OF attack. and little
power of observation; little power
of dealing with any equal foe to
which 1t may be opposed.
Taking those two as really be-
longing to one subject, namely the
battle fleet; taking those two, the
battleships themselves and the YES
sells auxiliary and necessary to a
battle fleet. we think that the pro-
portion between the various coun-
tries Is acceptable; we think the
limitation of amounts is acceptable:
We think II should be accepted; we
firmly believe that 1t will be ac-
cepted.
I'm my view the message which
has been sent around the world on
Saturday Is not a message which Is
going to be received by those most
concerned with cool appreciation.
believe It is going to be received by
them with warm, hearty approval.
and with every effort at. full, loyal
and complete cooperation.
No Need of Details.
Il think 1t would be i'll fitting on
such an occasion as this II I were
to attempt to go into any "details.
There are questions-and / have
no doubt that the Secretary of state,
our chairman, would be the first to
tell Us that there are details which
can OnlV he adenuatalv aaaft ..rs.k