The daily times., 1921-11-05
CONFERENCE Will DECIDE
Limited Armament Meeting is
Expected to Settle the Vex-
atious Question in tAe Far
East and to Bring Other Am
icable Agreements of World
importance.
(By David Lawrence.)

Times.)
Washington, Nov. 5S-After all the
formalities and ceremonies are out
of the way and the Armament Con-
ference gets down to brass tacks. the
United States government, if it de-
sires to assume the leadership must
answer for itself these questicns
What shall be the purpose of the
United States Navy in the future?
Shall it be large enough simply to re-
lieve distressed Americans in various
parts OF Central and South America?
II SO. then a few ships are sufficient:
Shall the Navy be big enough to
defend the Atlantic and Pacific coasts
from any enemy whatsoever? Then t
must be-as large as the greatest navy,
namely the British.
Shall the American Navy Re as
large as that of any power except
Great Britain. Shall it always be
greater than that of Japan? The
answer is the maintenance then of
navy as big as our present establish
ment and the continuance of the
present cost
In other words, what is the foreign
policy of America to be-aggressive
or defensive, worldwide or purely
national?
Obviously it would be cheaper if
America and Great Britain could
agree to act together in the future as
they did in the European war The
combined strength of the two navies
would be able to overcome any po-
tential foe. But an alliance with one
nation is considered dangerous-it
only leads to the growth of other al
liances to Offset the first. So a gen.
eral com mbination of all naval powers
bound together to preserve the peace
would be the cheapest proposition
that could be made-an association
of nations. Woodrow Wilson thought
eduction of armament expense would
follow universal adoption of the
League of Nations. His formula has
been rejected for the time being by
the United States. President Harding
has another formula, less rigid than
Mr.. Wilson's, but having for its OBJ
ject international cooperation as ex-
pressed in the Republican National
Platform of 1920-namely agreement
among nations to reduce armament
and preserve peace.
IT America decides that each ma
ton ought to be permitted to fulfill
it's aspirations along national lines,
, then the demand of the American
navy will be for a position the equal
ca decides to pool her strength with
! the others, our naval experts will be
compelled to propose radical reduc-
tions on every side. OF course moth
, ing would be done till all nations
| would agree. The good faith of each
power would be pledged 20 'he oh
servance of the new treaty Or "onven-
| ton. A violation of the treaty would
consultation Mr.. Wilson's league was
/ interpreted as involving physical
force at once to punish such viola
tion Mr.. Harding's idea is to let
moral force and the play of world
opinion back the offending nation in
to a corner and compel obedience.
Subsequently, it might become nee
essary for the powers to take steps
tn scuelch a enthusiastically inclined
nation.
/ If there's an agreement on Far
Eastern questions and all the nations
including Japan sign it, the various
navies will be morally bound to see
that Japan keeps faith. 1t isn't nee
essary to prescribe penalties in ad
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