Evening star., 1921-11-20
means TO SECURE
PEACE FOR WORLD
u. ,S.-British Pledge to Aid
France it Attacked, and
Postponed Debt Interest.
10 the Editor Of Tie Star,

I 10 the Editor or The Starr
! Are there not one or two things that
can. be done to further and make cer-
tain the success Of the movement
| which the President and Secretary
Hughes have begun with such eclat.
vision and courage, to diminish arma-
ment and bring about lasting peace?
! Nothing that has been left undone
inE effect a. for Great Britain and
| ourselves to agree that II France Is
again wantonly attacked by Germany
we Will, as we did before, go to her
rescue. Guoh an agreement would not
be one of. those terrible ''entangling
busaboos whenever closer interna-
\ tional relations are suggested. 1t
would be simply an outstanding
promise that In the event Of a certain
| thing happening we will. without in
voiving us any further. take a certain
position.
! Without such an agreement how can
IT be expected that France. with her
/ experience of powerful and bitterly
hostile power just over her border.
| can live with any sense Of security.
TO say nothing of reducing her means
i of defense. With such an agreement
she would be relieved of all apprehen-
sion and could concentrate her en-
ergies in the direction of normal de-
velopment. Such a development, SO
safeguarded, would incidentally be
help to Germany. for It would force
her of necessity to abandon all
thought Of and preparation for fur
ther aggression, and SO lead her into
the paths Of peace. Furthermore. all
| this can be accomplished without cost
or risk to Great Britain or ourselves.
for. whatever Germany's desire or pur-
pose might be, she> would never dare
to invade France again with Great
Britain and the United States behind
her. The tranQuillizing effect of such
an, agreement would be worldwide.
| a Five-Year Debt Interest Holiday.
Tho next most helpful thing we
| can do for the whole Of Europe, and.
incidentally. for all mankind, is to
say to the countries which fought
] with US: Comrades in arms and
sharers in victory, you suffered a
thOusandfolds more than We did; our
| lands were not ravaged, our people
starved and driven into exile, or our
villages and towns bombarded and
destroyed; our dead and wounded and
our economic, losses, compared to the
aggregate of yours. are trifiing. You
are staggering under fearful bur-
dens; we have grown richer. By no
merit Of our own the war has left US
rich and powerful and we want to
help you. We will provide that no in
terest shall accrue on the war debts
Of those who fought with us for the
period Of five years from November
| IL, 1921. Perhaps our motive in thus
| trying to help you get on your feet
| again and return to normalcy may
be. unged with selfishness, for we
| will know that whatever promotes
1 your posperity must eventually adj
vance our own; but, believe US, we
make the offer, not grudgingly. nor
; looking for any material reward, but
in the spirit Of brotherly helpfulness
and humanity, which actuated our
! President in calling together the
great conference at Washington, and
/! in the sweeping proposal made for
the reduction Of armament"
A Way to Restore Balance.
1 with that proposal adopted and
! put into effect. with France freed
from the haunting dread Of another
| invasion and with the immediate
pressure. OF their heavy war debts
j lifted, the people of Europe would
soon return to abounding peace and
prosperity, from which We should
reap both credit and a rising tide of
business activity and financial re-
ward. Let US, having at the opening
OF the conference given the world
q lead In practical idealism, show
that We are capable of an equally
broad and healing generosity to our
soreiy burdened brothers in arms.
ARCHIBALD HOPKINS.