Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-13
Women and
Disarmament
By TrsA4rse !. Has1fta

I D1SdrmamcnI
~ FrsAAr4s J. HastRsa II
Washington, Aug. IA plea for |
some amateur statesmen at the dis |
armament conference, an well a. the |
diplomats. miiitarists, government Of |
flcials, and other professionals. 10 be-
Ing made by the Women's Committee
for World Disarmn
SO far, the war and peace confer
ences have been made up almost en-
tirely OF the usual type Of govern
ment representatives. Armed with
top hats and diplomatic expressions,
they gather TO solve the international
tangles. and they leave the table with
the tangies rearranged into ntw knots,
but with their dignity still intact
There must be some men experienc-
cd In dipIornatie procedure at the dis
rrra ment conference. Of course. But
IL is being urged that delegates be also
appointed TO represent the people who
are most vitslly concerned in dis
arms sment-business, labor, the farm
ers. and the women Of the country.
TO impress upon the administration
the desirab biiity Of appointing these
delegates for the people. women all
over the country are writing 70 their
Representatives and Senators. 70 Sec
retary OF State Hughes, and to ue
/ President These officials, they ray.
being partly dependent on women'-
votes for their positions, owe careful
consideration 20 their requests.
Especially are the women Interested
/ In a woman delegate. President Hsr-
ding has already been approached re-
garaing this by news correspondents
who asked The other day II there
vo,,ld be room at the conference for
i a.yonan. Mr.. Harding answered that
/ there would undoubtedly be room, cut
/ that as vet he had not had an oppor.
/ trinity 10 con nsider the matter. Be-
garding this as a hopeful sign, the
4 wornen's disarmament committee ex-
/ poets to arrange a delegation 10 put
the proposition before the President In
4 the near future.
/ Jane Adams Suggested.
/ when Miss Emma wold, chairman
i Of the committee, was asked what
i woman IL favored as suitable dele
i gate. she answered that there are 50
Il many women who are competent to
Il DISCUSS armaments and peace prob
4 IONS that no particular candidate
would be suggested. Miss Void mem
1 toned however. as a few possibilities,
/ Jane Adams, who has sat at inter-
! national conferences before and is
! known as a strong advocate OF peace
rr1ea sures: JulisL Lathrop, head Of the
ehildren'- Bureau: Rose schneider
man, who ran for Congress last No
] vember: Ida Clyde Clarke. and Mrs
Carrie Chapman Gait.
The National won1an's Party, which
| is backing the woman delegate idea is
not supporting any one candidate
: either. According to Mi-s Alice Paul
Z the woman's Party cannot take sides
q or. the question Of disarmament be
J cause IL has one big program before
: ito put women on an equal status
= with men in government, and before
the law.
!. @rrorn this standpoint alone" said
: Miss Paul, @the party is interested IN
: the disarmament conferences, rhough
undoubtedly many members OF tne
!, party as individuals. hold strong views
? or the subject Of disarmament.
3 THE woman's Party holds that
women should be equally considered
with men in making this decision. and
a meeting viii be held on August IL
0 a1 our Watch Tower in Washington
e at which a committee on the disarnaa-
e ment conference will be appointed
r After that. pressure Will be brought tC
: bear upon the administration, so thai
u al least one woman may be on tbs
n commission to discuss disarmament
e PitiIess Publicity Urged.
l. Delegates 70 represent the people i
u one of three aims for which ths
women's Committee for World Dis
armament is working. The other twi
4 are that there shall be full publicity
, regarding proceedings. and that sid
Tissues shall not be allowed TO dis
lltIact the conference from its purpose
to make some decision regarding re
duction OF armaments-
a The sentiment in favor OF open di
plomacy is growing. People are be
ii ginning TO demand that officials re
member that they are representative
a OF the public and to insist that the da.
of trusting blindIy to officiaidom TO di
,el the right thing is about over.
THE disarmament conference
should be a public meeting" declares
Miss Void. The people should know
what steps are taken as the meeting
proceed, so that criticism fayorabl'
and unfavorable can be voiced by tn
. people before final steps are taken
= Then, too, II there is a failure TO ge
- results at the conference the peopl
would know who is responsible"
The other point is that disarmament
should be the supreme question. AM
i not forgotten in discussions on what {
do with zap and the Philippines
lei where to put the surplus population
of Japan, and is the Monroe Doctrin
IL toe. o.antiquated for use, and other in
ternational subjects any one OF whicl
g might be debated for days withou
noticeable progress toward an under
standing The women's disarmamen
1t committee fears that il preliminar.
conferences and side questions are in
'e troduced at the meetings. reduction Q
Iarmaments may be put OF from day {
of day, and possibly In the end postpone
e "to some more suitable date
To bring these three points to IN
'e attention of women throughout IN
'e country, and then TO have them poin
out their wishes to their government
representatives. is Keeping the dis
armament committee busy.
When the committee started n
Other organization could be found tha
@s=z'a.