The New York herald., 1921-08-20
ALL TAKE UP SLOGAN
OF NATIONAL SAFETY.
Congress Members Echo
Warning in IN. Y. Herald
on Arms Limitation.
EDITORIAL APPROVED
'Reduction,. Not Disarma-
ment; Insurance, Not Sur
render Is Best Policy.
U. s. ARMY NOW 18TH RATE
Poindexter, Wadsworth, Hale,
New, Stanley, Mccormick
Favor Prevention.
EDITORIAL APPROVED
U. s. ARMY NOW 18th RATE

Favor Prevention.
Special Despatch to THE NEW York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington. ID. c., Aug. ID.
We must consider our national
safety" These words earnestly ut
tered to-day by Senator Poindexter
(Wash.), Republican, acting chairman
of the Senate Naval Affairs Commit
tee, and by Senator Stanley (Pa.),
Democrat, summed up the comment
in official circles. without respect to
party lines, on THE NEW YORK HER
AIDS leading editorial this morning.
Without exception members of the
Senate and House echoed the warn
Ing against the tendency in some
quarters to regard the coming con-
ference on limitation of armaments as
affording to the United States an op-
portunity to scrap it's navy and de-
crease it's army as an unselfish ex-
ample to the rest of the world.
The editorial slogan, Reduction, not
Disarmament: Insurance, not Sur
render" was accepted by Republican
and Democratic leaders. members of
the Naval Affairs Committee. Military
Affairs Committee and the committees
dealing with foreign relations. All
agreed that reduction of armaments
should be general and proportionate.
Some Discussion Academic.
"I must commend THE NEW York
HERALD" said Senator Poindexter. for
bringing this important question to tho
attention of the people of the United
States. 1t would be great mistake IL
the idea should prevail that this is to
be a conference for complete disarmn-
ment. We must consider our national
safety.
"A great deal of the discussion on the
subject Is largely academic, for the rea-
son that as a practical proposition We
are advised by the highest authority In
Great Britain that his naval programme
will not In any way be affected by the
conference.
There Is nothing new In this policy
of Great Britain. When President Will
son proposed the limitation of arma-
ments as one of his fourteen points
Great Britain agreed to IT, with the
express reservation that no such imita-
tion would apply to her sea power
'The United States. of course, cannot
formally bind Itself in this conference
TO accept an inferior position to any
other Power. This has beer declared
many times by both administrative and
legislative authorities In this country. so
that we enter the conference subject to
these limitations. which, of course. is
very far from being disarmament.
THE New YORK HERALD editorial
very logically points out the misappre-
hension which exists as to disarmament.
There must be. of course. sufficient
civilized forces TO defend civilization.
and this is true regardless of anv inter-
national differences or viewpoints.
1T is true as universal, fundamen-
tai, human fact. If there should be dis
armament the uncivilzed hordes Of ehe
world would be far superior in power to
the civilized peoples It would mean. In
other words, the return of mankind to
barbarism The idea of some very de-
luded but we'll intentioned pacifsts that
we should set an example to the world
BY Immediately scrapping our army and
navy is Just as sensible as would be the
proposition to abolish thespolice and the
sheriffs and the marshals and the State
constabulary and the militias and other
forces which are back of our laws and
courts.
'The result. OF course. would be dis
order. loot. chaos and destruction of
society. These theorists apparently will
not learn by example.
"China long ago adopted a pacifst
policy and the result Is she has been
drawn and quartered by the military
Powers OF the world The United
States offers a more tempting field for
international rapacity than China, and
II we should be foolish enough to accept
the advice of men who lived in an ideal
world and shut their eyes to the realities
OF life we would very quickly become
as contemplate in an international sense
as Mesopotamla or Egypt"
u. s. Army Now Twelfth In List.
Senator wadsworth (y. ". chair
man OF the Senate Committee on Mill
tary Affairs. said:
II am in hearty accord with THE
New York HERALp's editorial. Frankly
] cannot believe that the army of the
United states can be reduced much lower
than IL is at present, 10000. 1t might
20 as low as 5000. but that would
verge on complete disarmament.
1T will surprise many persons to
know that at present the United States
stands thirteenth among all the ma
tions In comparison of the organized
military forces with the population. In
other words there are twelve other
nations that have. proportionately.
larger armies that the United States.
And this includes even the National
Guard and the officers enrolled in the
Reserve Corps.
I'm actual standing armies the United
States Is twelfth on the list. That Is.
there are eleven other nations that have
armies larger than ours. Our army at
present Is the same size as that OF
Germany, which was reduced by the
treaty to state OF helplessness.
"Of our army of 10000. a third. or
$4,000. Is at posts outside of the United
States. When you consider the nom
combatant forces in the United States,
the mobile army Is not much over
$4,000 or 10000.
$50 far as the army is concerned we
have just about reached our limit OF
reduction"
Folly 10 Disarm Entirely.
Senator Hale fMe.). member of the
Naval Affairs Committee. said: II
fully agree with the sentiments sx-
pressed In THE New York HERALD edl-
~ tu al IN No. A..