Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1921-12-02
THE WASHINGTON
CONFERENCE
By Arthur Brisbane

leCS OCnefS SlC IN Lne llmellgHC. he lS
not like the little boy that wanted to
kill all the bluebottle flies himself.
The limited navy plan was discussed
at the White House, before the Hughes
speech that startled everybody for a
minute. 1t was the President that
sent for the navy experts, and got
the facts as to what might be done
safely il their opinion, to agree on
a battleship money-saving programe.
Then, when everything was ready,
Secretary Hughes was allowed to hold
the match, touch off the giant fire
cracker and make the loud oratorical
noise.
That is a change. We have had
presidents that like to make the noise
themselves, and to sit, day and night
just where the spot of the calcium
light hits the stage.
The President was not merely anX
ious to give those that he has appoint
ed all prestige possible. He does
want that, and keeps in the back
ground purposely He also felt that
it would seem to put delegations from
other nations at a disadvantage if he,
head of the biggest nation, on the
"home grounds" put his personal
weight on the side of American argu-
ment.
His idea was to get them here,
start them talking, along lines of sane
economy if possible and then, in the
language of the alderman, let nature
! take her course.
| 1t is his hope that out Of this con-
ference may grow sufficiently fire.
quent discussions among the nations
meeting in conference, as individual
business men meet, with profit to
everybody's business but without any
man losing control of his own bus
mess. If you were to lunch with the
President today you would hear him
say: 81 am not a League of Nations
man."
The news is that Germany will be
invited to sit in, and join the con-
ference officially 1t is felt, first, that
she is entitled to all invitation, since
we are finally at peace; and, second,
that no progress can be made in ad-
,,justing Frances land armament policy
except upon understanding with
Germany
That France will discuss seriously,
or submit to any power but her own
will, the size of her army, is unlikely.
The French are practical, like the man
that had two pigs and therefore did
not believe in communism. Things
are now as France has wanted them
ever since 1871, and she sits tight.
About battleships France does not
care so much for she is the nation
that takes new ideas quickly. She
saw England's mighty fleet hide awav
from submarines, all through the war,
Kept carefully out of reach, as mother
puts away the good china at the chill
drens party. France has not been
spending much on battleships.
She knows that one small sub
marine and few flying machines,
costing next to nothing, can destroy
fleets of battleships costing forty mil
lions apiece.
France says through BRAND: CAV
fully nice party, but | must Co." She
submarins, and so she must, if she
ing Germany on basis of well-plan-
ned economic slavery and fighting
Russia to collect the uncollectable
debt, France would be in sad straits
if Russia and Germany, combined,
\ ever came sailing through the Darda-
nelles and marching from the East.
Plenty of submarines in the Mediter-
ranean, plenty of men on her frontier,
Iplenty of ships in the air, would be
her only salvation. AS for battle
ships, England, America and Japan
may have thos toys. France gives up
hanson cabs when the taxi arrives.
The fact is that the conference is
chewing a bone with no meat on it.
England is making no fuss about
battleships but wants to suppress the
NEW danger, which is the submarine.
This country and France intend to
have the submarines. England
stopped worked on four superdread-
naphts. The battleship is dead.
England and France care little what
we do. Neither expects trouble from
this big business establishment, and
if we will kindly forget or forgive
their debts, we may play a great
military nation and arbiter as much
as we choose
England and France are no longer
on good terms. England thinks She
suffers, because the slow strangling
of Germany spoils business. France
thinks she saved England from Prus-
sia, and she did, Therefore, says
France, it is for me to do what | will
with my vanquished foe. France and
England are on strained relations.
Englishmen tell you, in soft voice,
that France is rather hard to get
on with, "but, of course, we make
allowances" France shrugs her
shoulders, looks back over history and
says, England changes little," mean