Evening star., 1921-05-14
D|SARN|NG BY US.
ALONE HELDFOLLY
John Hays Hammond Urges
American Statement to
Other Nations.
Ev tho Associated Press.

| l'v the SS%rCia 'Gf Press.
! PHILA DF,I.PHTA. May 14-In a
| paper read before tCday's session of
I tho twcnty-Gfth annual meeting of
! tn" American Academy of Political
| and Social Science. John Hays Ham
| rnond declared disarmament on the
part of the United States, in the pres
| cnt state of international relations,
unless other great powers disarm at
| the same time. would be the height
of folly. if not a criminal blunder,"
| "D;sar17ament can be effected by
| straightforward. unequivocal message
| from our government to England and
| Japan" he said, "to the effect that
! the United States has no ambition to
! attain the supremacy Of the seas.
| but that she is nevertheless deter
mined not to accept a subordinate
| naval position. In this our policy is
| inf1exible.
When theso nations fully realize
| the fut!lit4 Of comp.ting with us to
| gain naval superiority they will
| gladly and quickly agree to the limi-
| tetion Of naval arnar1ents. and not
| before"
! Other papers dealing with the treat
! mont Of backward peoples. the func-
| tion Of international courts and es-
= al
zation were read.
| United States Senators Lenroot OF
| Wisconsin and France Of Maryland
| are On the program for tor:ght's ses-
| sion.
Attack aIiIitnrIsm.
| An attack upon the military aspi-
| rations of the leading nations of the
| world and a strong demand for re-
| duction of armaments were made
| here yesterday by one democratic
| United States senator and three re-
! publican representatives who spoke
| before the academy.
Senator Thomas J. Walsh of Mon
| tana depIored the military race be-
| tween the United States. Great Brit
AN and Japan. and declared Congress
| should call conference of nations
to discuss disarmament. He mildly
! criticised President Harding for not
| encoura ging the adoption of such a
resolution by Congress.
Representatives Frank w. Mondell
! of Wyoming, majority leader in the
| House: John Jacob Rogers of Massa-
chusetts and Frederick B. Hicks of
New York all spoke in favor Of linn
itation of armament. Mr.: Mondell
made no mention of how the plan is
! to be brought about saying:
"No one can ever guess what the
| Senate may, do but gather the time
| is now ripe for calling such con-
| ference"
The two other congressman advo-
Gated calling of the conference by
! President Harding.
! Senator Walsh and the three repre-
| sentatives all agreed that America
alone could start such a project with
| out being suspected of Interior mo-
tives by the rest of the world. They
agreed. also, that this nation should
start no actual disarmament. either
on l2nd or sea- until an agreement
has been reached with England and
Japan to start reductions Of arma-
ue2ts.
American Opportunity.
"In our peculiar situation Of
strength and resources" Mr.. Mondell
said. 1--WE have, at this juncture. the
greatest opportunity ever offered a
people in all the tide of time. At
could. If need be, increase our war
equipment and fighting forces to an
overshadowing size and strength, we
can offer the world a lifting of war
burdens and relief from war dan
gers"
Confidence that every nation would
welcome an invitation to join in dis
armament and that the agreement
could be easily carried out was ex-
pressed by the speaker. Unless dis
armament was agreed to, he declared.
the next conflict might easily cause
Il large part of the world to revert
to barhariSm.
! "As the condition of the worlds
affairs affords us this wonderful Op-
portunity," Mr.. Mondell continued.
at also lays upon US a great duty
and responsibility. AS we are the only
nation that can logically and without
embarrassment propose the Limitation
of armament, it becomes our bounden
duty-a duty we cannot dodge or
escape--to do it, and to do it as
piitEly n g when conditions
seem ripe for success. Let us not
| forget that on the sea, at least. we
were the only nation that pursued a
great program of expansion after the
close of the world war. and that 1T is
! our great 1916 naval program still
| being carried forward by an army
| of workmen and at vast expense that
! was the primary cause and is the con-
| tinuing provocation of the competi-
| tive plans and purposes of other ma
! tions
Discusses Voluntary Pledges.
I'VE must not judge of the proba-
I bility Of the fulfillment of voluntary
! obligations, such as are proposed by
! the worlds experience with treaties.
| which in the main have been the
| harsh terms exacted of defeated
/ people.
! The world will, in my opinion.
! agree to a limitation of competition
! in armamentS because the world must
| know that therein lies the only hope
| of soIvency and rehabilitation. The
world will keep such engagements
| and agreements when entered into.
| first. because it will be for the self
| interest of each nation to do so; sec
| ond, because it will be to the inter-
| est of all to see that each keeps its
agreement for the benefit of all.
| "An history teaches what recent
| history has proven conclusively. that