Evening star., 1921-06-28
DISARMAMENT KEY
TOU.S s. PROBLEMS
Stalking Issue Confronts Ad-
ministration Everywhere in
Trying to Cut Expenses.
M DAyID LAWRENCE.

The biggest story in Washington to-
day is disarmament. Everywhere the
Harding administration turns IN ITS
effort to cut down expenses or to re-
duce taxes it meets the disarmament
problem in some form. 1t has taken
months for the true importance OF
diSa rnla .nent to be appreciated. hut
the question has at last gotten so big
! that in it's solution lies the key to the
domestic and ,oreign situation COM
bined.
Back of the disarmament problem
lies. for~instance. the whole attitude
of foreign governments toward the
f,ndiug of their debts to the United
States How much interest can they
afford to pay annually: now huc.l
toward the principal if the chief item
in their budgets is military ana haEaI
expense for the next war? AND whl!e
President Harding has sent informal
feelers to the foreign powers to de-
termine their attitude toward re-
duction of armament expense the
same informal responses have been
made to the effect that when plan
of insurance has been provided. some
thing that will assure the satetS OF
! European countries from attack, then
/ = disa armament Program Will become
plausible.
situation Among Allies.
France. for instance. wants to know
| what insurance the United States will
provide against attack by u reorsah-
| lied Germany ten years hence. The
limited States has failed to ratify the
| special defensive treaty whereby
| America and England were TO come
! to the aid of France in the event OF
| an unprovoked attack by germany:
| The guarantees against war adopted
| by France have been big standing
army-a tremendous item in her bud
get.
Similarly Great Britain has not yet
been convinced that she can dispense
with her navy. She does not know
| American plans or professions. and
all the talk she hears is about grow
ing friction between America and
England. The very suggestion of
better understanding between Eng
| lish- speaking peoples is made nova
days only in whispers lest it be the
! subject of attack by the Sim Fein
| element. who look upon closer rela-
! tionship between England and the
! United States as somehow inirical
! to free Ireland.
AS for Japan. she is just entering
! into a new alliance with Great Brit
| ain. which means not only that the
com D neu Japanese ana BRUSH sea-
| power is greater in strength than
i that of the United States. but that the
: English genius for shipbuilding and
naval invention is at the disposal of
| the Japanese. All the talent of
| the British navy is availa BILE to the
Japanese for training and upbuilding
, of a navy. Such an intimacy is the
natural outsrowth of the Japanese
British alliance. 1t may mean British
neutrality in the event of a conflict
between the United States and Japan.
but meanwhile it does mean British
Japanese partnership in preparation
for any war Of the future.
Viewed With Apprehension.
1t is not eXaggeratng a bit to say
| that the view here is one of apprehen-
! sion concerning the effects of the British
Japanese alliance if once renewed. The
| government here hopes it will not be re-
newed. though nothing formal or in
! formal. direct or indirect. has been said
on the subject to any other government
Those who had hoped the league of
nations would put an end to alliances
are put to task in explaining how it is
that Japan and England are entering
! into an offensive and defensive alliance.
| The answer usually made is that with
! the United States out of the league the
strength of each power depends upon
! special combinations with other powers,
and until America comes forward with
! a better plan for an association Of ma
tions to embrace all countries and par
| /~.u1;~,,o3 ~ rolnr,n