The Washington times., 1921-11-23
WAR OR PEACE?
Studies Of the Washington
Conferences
NO. l2.-THUS FAR.
Settlements and sincere disa
are inseparably interviewer.

costictnentS ana sincere ulSdIIunihohs
are inseparably interviewer.
Enormous French Army.
The French. however. have led In an
important announcement, promising
evacuation and renunciation in the
Chinese area on the part OF France
provided Britain and Japan follow
suit. Lord Riddle, on behalf OF Brit
ain, has followed suit; Britain is
ready to relinquish everything, with
the justifiable exception OF Hong
Kong. a purely British creation.
And NJ. BRAND has explained why
France must have an enormous army
to overawe Europe. but that still
leaves certain possibilities Of military
restraint open for consideration. We
are still discussing whether we may
not hope to see CONSUMPTION panished
from the earth.
When such things swim up through
the boiling activities of the Washing.
ton vat, not merely as passing sugges-
tons and happy ideas, but embodied
In more or less concrete proposals, we
cannot fail, howeve< Jaded we may
feel, from also feeling hopeful. The
conference has got only to its third
session and we already seem further
from war In the Pacific and nearer
security there than at any time In the
past two years.
Must Lay An Eggs.
And these limitations of success in
this world discussion. of which Wash
ington is the controlling nucleus, turn
our mipds naturally enough to the con-
tinuatfon and final outcome Of this
great initiative of President Harding's.
The more fruitful the conference
seems likely to be In agreements and
understandings. the more evident 10
the necessity for something perma-
nent arising out OF 1t, to hold and
maintain, in spirit and in fact. this
accumulation Of agreements and I'M
derstandings.
The Washington conference before
1t breaks up and disperses must. In
some way. lay an egg to reproduce
Itself. In some fashion 1t must
presently return. Because we have
had to bear in mind that In the
final and conclusive sense OF the
word. the conference can DECIDE
nothing. 1t has produced a fine and
generous atmosphere about 1t; 1t Will
probably arrive at an effectual tenn
porary solution Of a large group OF
problems. but the power of final
decision rests with governments and
away. Hc hiiiSi'-
can proposals are only suggestive and
they have no value as a treaty. I'M
less they are accepted by the powers
and until the American Senate has
confirmed them by a two-thirds ma
jority.
Warifke Gesture.
M. BRAND may have wished to be
generous and broadminded here. but
In Paris is this French senate, in
spired by a mad patriotism that
would even now begin to arm France
for an inevitable" war with Britain.
The French senate has made
warlike gesture directly at England,
has set its feet in a path that can
end only In a supreme disaster for
France and England, and 1t did 80,
one guesses In order to remind M.
BRAND that II he dared to be rea-
sonable, II he dared to be pacific, II
he acted for Great France and man.
kind. instead Of at the dictates Of
Nationalist France. he did 80 at his
peril. He would have been accused
OF betraying his country. "Conspuez
BRAND" they would have cried In
their pretty way. So M. BRAND has
played the patriots role.
In Tokyo and in London. II IL an
open secret that the same conflict
goes on: the cables are busy with