Arizona republican., 1921-11-01
OPPAU
BY DR. FRANK CRANE Copyright. 1921, by Frank Crane)

The terrible disaster caused by the explosion in the iac1or a Oppau Tn Germany was one of the most fatal in the history of industry It is said that the explosion was more terrific and the effects were felt greater territory than in the of any similar catastrophe It has been said that this calamity was caused by the premature explosion of gases of new character which were being expermented with by the chemists At least the experts say that known gas great quantities could have caused such terrific results
 It IS but fair to say that the officials of the factory declare that they not trying any new explosive but that the accident must have been caused by the stores of saltpere and salammoniac and other chem calls used in ferlzing which being held in great quantities.
 If is true that this accident is but phase of the rivalry of nations and that 1t occurred in the of seeking and terrible instrument of hu- man destruction it furnishes food for very serious thought
 The old frictions of natonasm were not so deadly in the days when they resulted simply in continuous warfare and the business of kings. For al- though these wars constant yet they for the most part petty They were dues between armies and Tn the meanwhile the greater part of the population remained at work and the life of the state flowed
 The last war, however, introduced to another and deadlier phase of national rivalry For became at the last not only duel between armies but effort to destroy entire populations, to lay barren their eds to cut down their orchards and to reduce their cities to heaps !
 The old wars of former times were bad enough heaven knows. But now that has commandeered science in his efforts for destruction and has discovered means for wholesale extinction of nations the old order unless it is changed bids fair to exnguish civ zaton.
 The incident at Oppau proves again the necessity of worldwide watch by properly instituted un versa authority upon the activities of these professors of sateeraft who regard wholesale murder and wanton destruction nothing compared to the achievement of nationalist ambitions
 Already the question has been seriously raised whether private firms should be allowed to manufacture arms which have other purpose than the wholesale destruction of human life. And it is question which the coming disarmament conference should take up; whether such things cannon and high explosives should be manufactured by any except responsi- ble nation
 And the Conference for Disarmament should go further than that For should be devised to prevent single nation from developing and storing up supplies of explosives which if they would not lead such nations to world dominance, might in finite harm before that ambition was frustrated
 Great Britain has already called the attention of the League of Nations to the necessity of regulating the manufacture of and traffic in The objection has been raised that this would do good without the CO., operation of the United States It is to be hopedthere- fore that the Disarmament Conference at Washington will see the necessity of action in this country