Evening star., 1921-08-12
j, s, DISARMAMENT.
NOTE DEALS BLOW .
T0PREPAREDNESS
Doctrine Enunciated Which
Has Been Under Attack
Here for Years.
BROAD FIELD OF WORLD
DIPLOMACY is OPENED
Official Washington Is Awaking to
Scope of Proposal to Remove
All Causes of Friction.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Preparedness. of which so much
spokesmep and later from democrats.
has received its first solar plexus
from the Harding administration.
Secretary Hughes. in his formal in
vitation to Great Britain. France,
Italy and Japan to a conference on
reduction of armament, has enun-
ciated a doctrine which the liberal
element has been preaching for years,
only to be derided by their op-
ponents.
Armament, in the opinion of Mr..
Hughes, is mot only without eco
nomic justification, but is a constant
menace to the peace of the world
rather than an assurance of its pres
ervation."
There is a school Of thought, even
in the Harding administration, which
doesn't agree with that theory, ana
in Congress, to be sure, there al
ways has been an element which. like
kindred organizations. insisted that
the surest preventive for war was pre-
paredness.
Revert to Wilson Theory.
The naval and military expenditures
of the United States government have
been variouSly defended on the ground
that it was necessary to arm against
potential foes, but the Harding ad-
mini stration, through the Hughes
note to the powers. has reverted to
Woodrow Wilson's theory which is
that armaments should be reduced to
safety-that armies should be large
enough only to exercise domestic
police power and that navies should
be simply coast guards:
The decision of the Harding ad-
ministration as reflected in the
ments are a constant menace to the
peace of the world, rather than an
assurance of it's preservation"-is
really a sequel to the latest tests.
plainly shown to be danger to the
capital ship, which might in the fu-
ture prove conclusively the waste In
the enormous burden Of naval arma-
ments.
Some hint of this il given in Mr..
Hughes further declaration that lit
may also be found advisable to formu-
late proposals by which in the inter-
est of humanity the use of new
agencies of warfare may be suitably
controlled"
In other words, the use of the air
plane and airship in dropping bombs
has revolutionized warfare, and the
next war, unless absolutely governed
by rules between the powers in
yolved, will mean an era of unpar-
alleled destruction.
Would Prevent Great Conflict.
for established rules Of warfare was
demonstrated in the last war. and
rather than face the discouraging
prospect of trying to regulate.a war
while it is in progress, the American
government at least believes that the
sn To O
steps as will prevent a colossal con:
fiict.
1t is admitted that the white race
cannot stand another war like that
which began in 1914. The United
States government has not limited
the invitations to a discussion of
naval armament, but has asked that
all manner of armament be reduced
and that all sources of misunderstood
ing be removed, not merely In the
far east, but throughout the world.
The Significance of this broad state
ment is just dawning on official
Washington, for it means that the
Harding administration has embark
diplomacy in an effort to accomplish
what was left incomplete under the
last administration-ad definite agree
ment to end wars.
Ass0ciatiOn With Other Nations.
Mr.. Hughes pointedly wrote that 'it
is quite clear there can be no final
assurance of peace, and the prospect
of reduced armaments is not a hope
full one. unless this desire finds ex-
preston in a practical effort to re-
move causes of misunderstanding and
to seek ground for agreement as to
principles and their application"
While 1t is stoutly denied that the
United States intends to set up a rival
to the league of nations, the expectation
here Is that the disarmament confer
ence will soon develop the necessity of
broad understanding on the subject Of
preserving peace. and that Mr. Harding's
ideas for an association with the other
nations of the world will find a natural
outlet at the November conference.
Meanwhile Theodore Roosevelt, jr.,
assistant secretary of the Navy, who has
been preaching lately the doctrines Of
his distinguished father. to the effect
that the surest way to preserve peace
was to be prepared for war. finds a diff
ferent theory expounded by the Secre-
tary of State. Indeed, the Hughes note
is hailed as a vindication Of those re-
publicans and democrats who all along
have maintained that preparedness for
war with any of the major powers was
the surest way to excite suspicion and
provoke bloodshed over controversies
that would otherwise smolder and in
time be extinguished by mutual consent.