Norwich bulletin., 1921-11-01

London, Oct 31.-CBy The A. P)-t George Harvey, the American ambassa. dor, speaking tonight at the dinner giv- | 1 en by the Pilgrims Society to the Brit I ish delegates to the Washington con- ! ference on limitation of armaments and Far Eastern problems, ,/heralded the com ing conference as "an ordeal. not of bat tle' but of faith the underlying pur- pose of which was not more challenge to the League of Nations than it was to the Monroe Doctrine.
 He reviewed the action of the American 1 congress respecting tho limitation of the army and the reduction of naval apro- priations, which he said gave conclusive 1 evidence, of the American governments confidence in the outcome of the con- ference.
 The real question confronting the conference is not whether the nations of i the earth can be brought into agreement upCn all things, but whether they can reach an understanding with respect to l anything he said. Tt is to be a great test, not of the sincerity of peoples, but of the capacity of existing govern ments 10 satisfy the univerral longing for peace, prosperity and happiness"
 Ambassador Harvey opened his address
 by alluding 10 the circumstances in which the invitation to the Washington conference was accepted by the Brit ish.
 Never can or would I forget that
 peaceful Sunday afternoon in July when
 I found MT. Lloyd George seated under
 the spreading branches of the trees on
 his country place engaged in animated
 conversation with the nremlers of the
 dominons he said. Quietly he ask
 ed: What is itg I drew a cablegram ] SC s.s-.
 Read it, he said. I did so. slow
 ly and carefully It is needless to inform
 you that it was the message from the
 secre.ary of state announcing the inten-
 ton Of the president to summon a con-
 ference of nations and asking if such a
 move would meet with the appreciation Of tho British Government.
 "In a flash the premier was On his
 feet.
 ."'we accept he almost shouted. We accept gladly: we accept gratefully. I . do not need to read the telegram. IL is . all right; we will do everything in our 3 power 10 make the conference a great
 success
 That Is the pledge he gave and which he has kept 10 this evening. when. as | we all regretfully realize his heart is 2 heavy from apprehension that the per ! formance of a more urgent duty may
 prevent him from affording al the be
 ginning the helnfulness of the great and 7 unexampled prestige which can be fully ] rendered only through the actual pres ence of so vivid a personality." f Ambassador Harvey said that wher
 Lord Robert Cecil perceved in this con
 ference no challenge 10 the League o s Nations he evinced accurate discern = ment." and the ambassador echoed Lort - Bryce's assertion that it was impossible d to overrate the fevor and hone wit
 which the conference was regarded i'
 America, and that America was not dis a posed to stand aloof from Old World af t fairs. Viscount Grey was no less gen O erous than he was just, the speaker con l. tinued. when he declared his belsr ths T the American government was absolute,,
 sincere and sin.le-minded and worthy Q IS the .'gsolute trust of aH the other na D tions. He quoted King Georges messag IT to President Harding and the latter's re e ply and added;
 l. Back of all their statesmen and pub
 licists stand in wistful. hope the entir
 peoples of our common race.
 r, Our own position is plain" he con le tinued. America does not fear wal le Why should she? Geographically she le self-contained and self-protected. Some e r. her most splendid cites would appear a
 tempting targ9s to the warriors Of in
 seas. But ths circumstance is relativel D. trivial The greatest guns in the worl y could not create the havoc of an earth IS quake such as that from which Sa to Francisco rose like 9 Phoenix from il re ashes, more resDlendent than ever. in
 bare score of months. It is a matte
 os most casual observation that we r' le build New York every thirty years. An e, back of the cities and the coast lines lie l k. real America with a registered total ( v- more than 24O0O.000 men between Il
 ages of seven teen and forty-five capab
 of bearing arms.
 ee ITO pronounce such a land uncoI to querable is to utter the merest truisn m No, America does not fear war; sh he simply hates 1t. But the security of il d. United States does not rest upon h'
 physical resources alone. Her moral p'
 sition is impregnaDle. Not only will sf es never seek additional territory by cor he quest she would not accept it as gif to Within her borders lie unoccupied lanf e. sufficient to sustain a population treb d. that which she now has. Well. indee
 may she rest content-a friend to all n;
 tions and, so far as her people are awar in without an enemy in the world. mt ''The coming conference, therefore, pr a sages no arbitrament of the sword. It e- an ordeal not Of battle put CT ialtn. h. Discussing the argument in congre!
 whether the army should comprise 100,0'
 or ,Oo0 officers and men, Ambassad' s- Harvey repeated the observation of he British statesman that "its only excess dy in it's moderation" He recalled the en ng barkation of America during the war oh a maya! programme designed 10 make u
 American navy equal to that of ar
 other power, and continued:
 Ter "There was no criticism of that pr " dent action then. That programme ": ,rt in process of execution in the early pa n- of the present year. Suddenly the of came a chalise. The president amour
 ed his intention of calling a conferenC
 Practically simultaneously, at the inst on gation of the president. congress reduc by the naval appropriation from sls4,ooI in 900 to S9O,OOo.0 .000, which, taking into a as count the increased costs of labor q, la materials represented barely forty ?
 cent. of the sum which ordinarily wou
 be allotted"
 Ire Furthermore, commented the ambs rid sador, the stipulation of congress pr ich vents fin any event except war itsel he tine beginning of the building of 9 sins ion new ship of any type before July 1, IS.
 lad .