Daily Kennebec journal., 1921-09-21
MEMBER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wednesday, September 81, 1921.
LEAGUE AND CONFERENCE


Those who are committed to the
Washington conference on Limitation
Of armament are endeavoring as q
preliminary to abolish or smooth
away those things likely to prove
causes of war. Meanwhile the
League of Nations, while accom-.
plishing little, is serving to agitatc
Sthe sentiment favorable to such lin
itation.
Recently the League sent out an
appeal for an agreement to keep the
military and naval budgets of the
next two years within the appropria-
tions OF the current year. Its last
bulletin states that 26 nations have
answered that appeal of which but
seven have replied in the negative.
These 1T appears agreed to the gem
eral principle but cited conditions. as
in the case of Poland, to show that
they are unable to comply with the
terms at this time, OF those agree
ing nearly all answered with reser-
Tations referring to the present un-
settled conditions of the world and
the uncertainty that is conse-
quence. The report sums up: 1.-THE
refrain Of all these answers might
be said to be- To be able to act at
all, we must act together"
1t appears that Spain, Roumania
and Japan gave evasive answers,
though the spirit is said to have been
favorable. The latter has this to
gay:
1T is the earnest desire of the jap
anese government that an agreement
should be reached between all states
for the Simultaneous reduction of
their armaments, in accordance with
the spirit of the League OF Nations
and with view to the maintenance
OF peace throughout the world
Nevertheless. in view of the fact that
the Council of the League. by virtue
of the provisions of the Covenant. is
closely studying plans for disarma-
not consider that it would be advis-
able to take any action upon the rec
Ommendation Of the Assembly until
these plans have been completed"
The report that Japan and the
United States have concluded an
agreement respecting the question of
Yap is very encouraging and is the
result of the common sense method
adopted by Secretary Hughes for
getting at the roots of the difficulties
While all sorts of propositions are
in the air, such as Japan insisting on
the immigration question being the
subject Of the conference and the ex-
treme unlikelihood that China may
agree to Japan's terms respecting
Shantung and 1.-The formers unwill-
ingness to have this considered by
the conference, the settlement of the
Zap controversy is happy augury
Of a solution in the other matters.
1t is interesting to note from the
replies of the League that Brazil
points out that she has let her de-
fensive measures fall far behind the
requirements of the country;
France declares that she has entered
resolutely on the reduction of arma-
, ments. Austria and Bulgaria aver
/ the matter has been settled between
them by peace treaties. Roumania
points to the precariousness of her
situation with regard to Russia.
Although not reported in the bulle-
tin 1t is a matter Of record that the
League finds great enthusiasm
among the weaker or unarmed ma
tions for Limitation of armaments
OF the big ones, most natural de-
sire on their part. While they have
three quarters of the votesof the AS
sembly it has been demonstrated that
the greater nations through the
council dominate the situation. 1t is
first necessary that they shall come
to an understanding if any may be
had. And this is just what the con-
ference at Washington will afford an
opportunity for doing. 1t is graft
flying and encoura ging to have the
League Councils Commission on dis
armament publicly recognize the
situation.