The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-08-27
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HASKIN, Director,
Washington, d. C.
TAXES AND WAR.

International war cease because the
common man will no longer put up
the money necessary to carry it on?
That is the real question which the
| ment and international finance will
consider. There is some hope of re-
suits from this conference because II
approaches the question of war from
a new argyle.
There have been efforts to abolish
war since before Christ, and all of
| them have failed completely. Rulers
ard men of wealth have always
wanted wars in order to increase then
power and wealth. Often most of the
lpeople want war too. A war may be a
| great national calamity, but it Ia also
a great national emotional de5auch
| ana shake-up. Our participation in
the World War was just that. Many
wero killed and manned, but many
others had good time, or made
money, or saw the world, or gained a
Few point of view 1t is useless to
pretend that wars are desired only by
the men in power who make them
Tha excitement and change which
they afford is often craved by the
common man as well. even tho he
bears all the cost and takes all the
risk.
But the cost and the risk nre al
ways becoming greater, and the OK
lOoS. OuI pdIIlC1pdliOn III lIlc
war was slight We did not feel the
full weight of it. The Europeans did.
BUrdened with taxes, most of their
young men dead. the European peo-
pies see themselves headed straight
for more war. They know that they
either in life>or in money.
That is the meaning of the disarma-
ment conference. The political
powers of the world have called it
because they know there is a demand
for it, They know that the common
man, who does the fighting and pays
the bills, is in striking mood. The
control of war has always been in his
hands, and never could be in anyone
else's. Any time that he refuses to
fight there cannot be war. Any time
that he refuses to pay there cannot
bellyful of both fighting and paying
Therefore the political and diplomatic
gentlemen will meet here to decide
among themselves just how much they
must concede to this new mood of the
common man. The result of the con-
ference really depends upon him. He
is public opinion. If public opinion
remains steadily against high taxes
and heavy armament, the politicians
will have to make some concessions.
But II public opinion gets excited
about the national animosities which
will be aired, if it's national risibih-
ties are stirred when the Georges and
Vivianis begin hurting defiance at
each other, then the great disarnna-
ment conference will be one more
Hague tribunal, which accomplished
no more for world peace than a sew
ing circle.
War Debt n Striking Figure.
Statesmen of various nations from
time to time have expressed the view
hn Cd
toward universal peace until the ma
lions, of the world were too poor to
support big armies and navies. That
time has arrived now. When the dele
cations to the conference called by
President Harding meet in Washing
ton in November, nations will be rep
resented having an aggregate debt of
1886, 100000. That debt will be
the greatest figure at the conference
table.
AS matter Of fact, some of the
great military and naval powers of the
earths are proceeding already on the
assumption that the conference will
succeed in its aims. and are cutting
down or hating their military and
naval programs. Reliable informa-
ton has reached American officials
that Japan has halted work on her
new naval construction. Great Bril-
tain has reduced her force of marines
from $1,000 to about 1900 and re-
duced her naval personnel to 10000,
Other nations are following their ex-
amples to a greater or less extent.
Conferences on the subject have
been under way in the United States
since before the election last autumn.
Roughly, the expected outcome of the
conference may be set down now, so
far as America is concerned. from
information obtained from the most
reliable official sources. American
ornaments are expected to be re-
duced to twelve first line battleships
in full commission, three squadrons
of four ships each, divided between
the Atlantic and Pacific. No limita-
tions will be placed upon coast de-
lenses, which by their character can
not be used extensively. The standing
army will be reduced to between
$4,000 and $4,000 men. The other
nations of the world will agree to re-
auctions in the same proportion.
limitation of the numbers of aircraft
each nation may construct. The use
of deadly gases and submarines and
their production will be rigidly pre-
scribed.
1t is the belief of the statesmen be-
hind the move for limiting world
ornaments that the greatest security
against future wars lies in holding
down professional armies and navies
to the point where no sudden and
offensive can De ldunCneQ
in the future, such as Germany
launched into Belgium in 1914. The
time required for preparations for
war after a break between nations will
be counted upon to a large extent to
allow the injured feelings of both to
be smoothed down.
Many Efforts at Peace.
The earliest effort at preserving
peace recorded in history was made by
the Amphictyonies more than five
hundred years before Christ. In 1923,
one Emeric Cruce, or de Lacroix,
wrote the "Nouveau Cynee," proposing
that the European world agree to the
formation of a permanent corps of
ambassadors which would make Ven
ice its headquarters. The votes of
these plenipotentiarieS were to- settle
all international disputes and this
plan formed the basis of many brought
forward in the intervening years down
to the present time. Hugh Grotius,
$1,o 81