The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-11-16
HUGHES PROPOSAL
..f. GRIPS THE WORLD

wondering whether such good news
as the Hughes programme could be
true, wondering whether anything
in international relations nowadays
could be so sudden, simple and un-
selfish. Great Britain reached out to
grasp g at once this great ogportuni-
y. The announcement that Mr.. Bal
four will accept in principle"
should end any doubt that may ling
er in the mind Of a world which has h
been fooled by mirages so often in
tie last th1rees. years. .aa. And, And, with with
Great Britain accepting our our solution ltie
oef III: :: armament problem, there .f.
SHOULD be no hesitation on the part
Of these nations which, in embrac-
ing 81 tie proposal Of the United
States, will, give up comparatively
lHle and gain comparatively much.
When we speak Of it as proposal
Of the United States we mean that,
While it q came from the mind and the
Ips Of Secretary Hughes as the
spokesman of President Harding's
xdministasion, II comes frotsm. the
heart # ills country = # there we're
an election today upon the question
Of ratifying the Hughes programme
the opposition opp would not carry a sin
gle De State; lprobsbly not a single
county: For America, while itself
startled for; a moment at the spfen.
did andaeity Of the, programme, Inn
msdiatsly realized that the secre-
MTy of State had with one bold
stroke Tcrystallized what had been in
the American mind and heart.
Not Since the world heard, three
years ago, that the day and hour Of
tile armistice had been fixed has
there Been such sweep of jooy., "The
optimism in. Washington said a
witty vi II diplomat on Sunday, ".is terri
Tying, fi He could sfiaye found that
same optimism in every corner Of
America = He will find it too in
every : continent Of the world when
the people Of that continent realize
that The: challenge Of the United
States must be taken UP BY the 9th,
ef Powers. Why should : not the
world be optimistic Z v when It sees
America, through Mr.: Hughes, ac.
more; in: half an hour
toward the elimination 81 bloodshed
than has ever been accomplished in
al the droning> hours Of the Hague
Tribunal or the League of Nations?
With the magnanimity which pro-
ceeds only from the great America
has offered to sacrifice far more in
the interest of world peace and econ.
omy than it asks the other great sea
Powers to relinquisn. With none of
the preliminaries Of barter, none of
the waiting for offers and counter
proposals, we have laid on the table
q magnificent bid for peace. 1t is a
bid 50 nigh that none, we think, will
ask for more; but it is not a bid so
high that our own people will be-
grudge paying it, for they know
what it's acceptance will mean.
England's acceptance in principle
was to be expected. We who had
read of the eagerness of Great Brit
ain to enter the conference coull
not doubt what her answer must De.
Her people, even more than our own,
have tired of the burden of navies
that grow costlier each year. Her
people know, as we know, that dread
noughts are paid for not only in the
taxes of the rich but in the price of
the poor's bread. Her people know
that their statesmen have promised
to make every effort to lessen the
load which they, in the finest spirit
of honor and justice, took on their
backs in 1914 and carried through
four red years. They are not paci-
fists. They would go again with high
heads into another justifiable war.
But they must welcome a programme
which would instantly reduce the
cost of national defense without re-
ducing their chances in the event OF
war. And when America says to
England For every five thousand