The Washington herald., 1921-11-01
HARVEY REVIEWS
ARMS PARLEY Aid
OFLLOYD GEORGE
Says Premier Met First
Suggestion With En-
thusiasm.

LONDON, Oct. 81. - David Lloyd
George almost shouted, so eager
was he to accept President Hard
ing's invitation to participate in a
disarmament conference, when Am
bassador Harvey called on him at
"Chequers," his country home, last
July with the official cable of in
vitatioR from Secretary of State,
Charles Evans Hughes.
We accept! Gladly! Gratefully"
the prime minister exclaimed when
the Ambassasar had wttkdnE1yn 10
. secluded spot with him in response
to the premier's hint.
Il don't need TO read the tele-
gram. It's all right. We will do
everything in our power to make
the conference a success"
Premier May Not Come
Lloyd George has kept the pledge,
Col. Harvey declared in addressing
farewell dinner here at which the
Pilgrims Society entertained the
members OF the British commission
before they departed for Washing.
ton. But. the Ambassador added
with tone of regret, the premier's
heart is heavy with apprehension
lest the performance of some more
urgent duty prevents his presence
at the opening of the conference.
Harvey's speech was mainly an
acknowledgment of the generous
and prompt manner in which the
premier supported the Presidents
initiative in calling the conference.
He recalled the circumstances of
that Sunday afternoon in July when
he had a social appointment with
the premier at "Chequers." on which
day the message came from Secre-
tary Hughes announcing merely
that the President intended calling
such a conference, and asking
whether Great Britain would an
prove. He took the message along
and the premier, divining that the
Ambassador had important business
to transact, asked him to out
with it.
Curzon Cordial, Too.
Harvey also paid a tribute to
Lord Curzon, secretary of state for
foreign affairs. When Harvey call
ed at the foreign office for the reply.
he said, Curzon had a conventional
message of acceptance ready to be
delivered.
This does not suffice" Curzon re-
marked, whereupon he added in h s
own hand the cordial phrase,L"with
the greatest satisfaction"
Continuing his address, the Am
bassador said: THE more 1 see of
the operations of the British gov
ernment the more fully 1 cofnpre-
hend the magnitude of the British
Empire as what we in America
would call 'go 'ng concern It's
a corporation greater than the steel
corporation or the tobacco corpora
ton 1t Is almost. IL not quite as
pig as the Standard OIL"
Not Blow at League.
Harvey said Lord Robert Cecil,
staunchest of supporters of the
league of nations, was right in say
ing that the disarmament conference
was in no sense to, be regarded as
a challenge to the league.
, The Presidents program is pre-
cisely what it purports to be-" he
explained. There is in 1t no more
challenge to the league of nations
than to the Monroe Doctrine or
tnsI treaty "hlch mas maintained
inviolate the boundary between the
United States and Canada.
Commenting on the recent
speeches of Premier BRAND of
France and Baron Hayashi, the
Japan Ambassador to Great Brit
ain, the American Ambassador said
Americas position was quite plain
America did not fear war.
There are in America more than
$4,000. 900 registered as capable of
bearing arms" he said. "To pro-
nounce such a land as unconquer-
able is to utter the merest truism.
America does not fear war. She
simply hates IL.
Tbe conference does not presage
arbitrament by the sword. It Is to
be an ordeal not by battle but by
faith. Whatever the outcome COM
ditions cannot remain the same.
They will be changed for the bet
ter or worse, but Inevitably they
viii be changed. The bonds Of
friendship are bound to be strength
ened by what happens in washing
tion. II we cannot act In unison
now there is slight reason to be-
tlfaua that wa aver IN n p e.