The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-10-12
Real Task Is Fitting Mass
of Information Together
and to Form a Con-
structive Program.
MEETING CALLED BY
SECRETARY HUGHES
Harding's Reply to Prayer
That He Would Work for
Disarmament Published.

WASHINGTON. Oct. 12.-Considera.
uon Of policies to be pursued by the
American delegation at the conference
on armament and far eastern and
Pacific questions was begun today
when the -four delegates selected by
President Harding 10 represent the
United States held their first meeting
at the state department.
Diplomatic. military and naval
data of a specific nature already had
been compiled for the guidance of the
delegations, but the real task of fitting
the whole mass of information togeth-
er and building upon il a constructive
program, remained to be done by the
delegates themselves in the long serles
of meetings that will precede the open.
Ing of the conference on November IL.
Some Hint of Presidents Hopes
Some hint Of the presidents hopes
FOR the armament conference were
given as the delegates were assembling
by publication of n letter the president
had written in reply To n prayer that
he work for universal disarmament.
Letter TO Miss Freed
The letter in which President Hard
ing outlined his hope for reasonable
limitation" was made public at the
White House. II expresses the exc,S
tivo's attitude toward the views of all
those who have written him To work
for complete disarmament. The letter
was addressed to Miss Fila l.. Freed
Brooklyn, New York, and was as fol.
lows:
You replied thu my letter seemed
10 bring message of hopelesSness t.
those seeking universal disarmament
and asked me to explain. BY reason.
able limitation, ! mean something prac-
ticablc that there Is n chance to ac.
complish rather than there would he
no chance to realize IL is not to deal
with actualities; to do the best pos
sible. Universal disarmament would
be beyond hope of realization. Even
its desirahility nj this time might well
be questioned. Thousands of years Of
hlStor! recording the wars and con.
trovcrsies Of mankind suggest that hui
man nature would require revolution.
AIRY reorganization To mako universal
disarmament possible. \ consideration
of the pre- sent state of the world. mi'st,
| think. force the conclusion that his
Is not a hopeful time TO undertake that
Kind Of revolution.
"On the other hand. world with
the horrors Of recent experiences scar.
cd into It's mind, and staggering under
the load OF debt and armaments. has
generously Justified our hopes ior a
favorable attitude toward the prdc.i.
cal effort. the sincere beginning. that
we are attempting. The fine spirit In
which leading nations have received
the invitation To meet and consider
these things, is altogether encouraging.
To undertake the impossible and fail.
might leave our last state worse than
our first. The attitude Of the nation 4
warrants confidence that We win not
fail, hut rather that substantial things
viii be- accomplished, calculated ,o les.
sen the armament burden. and to re-.
ducc the number of ARMED conflicts.
| feel that In such an effort. we are
entitled TO the support of all people
would bc glad--as can assure YOU |
am--to see stll moro accomplished II
possible.
Most sincerely yours.
WARREN q. HARDING. ="