New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-18
Pledges Senate to Work
for ''General' Disarma-
ment as Opposed to Re-
duction by U. S. Alone
Would Free World
Of Heavy Burdens
Wants Army and Navy
Kept Up Until Other
Countries Will Disarm

From The Tribune's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Aug Ex-senator
Lodge of Massachusetts, who. has been
chosen with Secretary of State Hughe s
on the American commission to the in
ternational disarmament conference IN
November told the Senate day that
he would do everything in his power
to bring about an agreement at that
parley for a general reduction of arma-
ments. Such a move, he thought, was
imperative to relieve the people of the
world of "the burdens under which
they are now staggering" The Senator
insisted, howeveT. that there must be
a general reduction" of armaments,
as distinguished by reduction by the
United States alone.
Senator Lodge was led into dis
cusson of his views on disarmament
by remarks of Senator Harrison, of
Mississippi, who expressed the hope
that as delegate to the conference
Senator Lodge would "change his past
views"
Lodge Opposes Army and Navy Cuts
Just previous to the time Senator
Harrison took the floor, Senator Lodge,
in speech protesting against the good
roads bill on the score of the need of
economy, voiced his opposition to the
reductions heretofore madk in the
army and navy. Senator Harrison s
purpose, though he did not specifically
say so, was to convey the idea that
Senator Lodge, though chosen to rep
resent this country at the disarma-
ment conference, was a big army and
big navy man
In his good roads speech, Senator
Lodge, referring to army and navy re-
ductions, said:
I'VE have cut down with great Sc
verify the appropriations for the army
and navy, which | regard as absolutely
necessary expenditures for any gov
ernment which means to protect itself
against dangers which may come to
any nation. We have cut the army be-
low point which seems to me safe.
We have cut the navy down to such a
such as the battle-cruisers and the
airplane carriers has been either
stopped or slackencd. This is exactly
like a man who economies bv giving
up his insurance, whether on his house
or on his life
81 think these reductions for our
army and navy have been carried too
far already, but to cut down the naval
appropriations $4,000 900 below what
is needed to COMPLETE in a reasonable
time our building program and give IFS
such q navy as we should possess under
present conditions is an economy of
the most dangerous kind When we
make such reductions as these and
such reductions for the armv as we
have made, it is wholly indefensible
to take all we have saved on the navy
and spend it for good roads, which are
instruments Of prosperity and convent
ence, but which are not an insurance
OF our safety or a security for our
peace.
Nation Suffering From Wnr
II know we'll how much the whole
country, rich and poor, is suffering
from the economic conditions rrc-
duced by the war. 1t is an utter mis-
take to suppose that they are confined
to one part Of the country or TO one
occupation. | know how much the
farmers and planters have suffered
from these economic conditions. but
the suffering is lust as serious in the
great industrial states of the North
and East which stretch from the VAL
lev Of the Mississippi to our Eastern
coast
Senator Harrison referred to the an
pontment of Senator Lodge as one of
the American delegates to the disarm-
ament conference. and continued:
No congress that will be held this
year or which has been held hereto
fore carried with it greater import to
the peoples of the world than the
conference on the limitation of arma-
ment, but the success or failure Of that
congress depends upon the personnel
OF the delegates who will represent
the various countries.
Of course, more will depend upon
the represe sentatives of the United
States. They will be the leaders in
IT.; the position that they shall take
VIII be followed by other countries.
and the success or failure depends
upon the tactics and the policies which
the representatives of the United
States shall advocate. SO I am hone
full. since the Senator from Massachu
setts has been designated as one of
the two representatives already selected
to represent this country, that he will
change his past views and work in
cooperation with the representatives of
the other countries to bring about a
limitation of armaments. | have no
doubt that he will do that; I feel quite
sure that he will carry out the views
Of the President"
Senator Lodge Interrupted to de-
clare that there had been no change
IN his views regarding the limitation Of