New-York tribune., 1921-06-04
Land
Idea Declared
Plan to Delay
Europe Cannot Cut Armies
Now, Borah Asserts i'm
Attacking Proposal to
Modify His Amendment
Clash of Houses Likely
Many Senators Are Ready TO
Fight TO Limit TO Get
Conference on Navies
From The Tribune's Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON, June 3. - Possibili-
ties of a serious clash between the
two houses over the disarmament
dicated to-day in statement given
out by Senator Borah expressing the
view that if the Borah amendment is
broadened to include land as we'll as
naval forces it will kill the whole prop
osition
In this connection it is understood
that the Senate conferees on the naval
bill have advised Senator Borah they
will stand squarely in conference for
the Borah amendment. Should that
amendment be knocked out in confer
ence and no disarmament amendment
be included in the conference report
or an unsatisfactory one, fifteen or six
teen Senator'S are prepared to oppose
the passage of the naval bill to the
limit and it may 90 over until after
the beginning of the new fiscal year
Senator Borah, although he did not
mention House Leader Mondell, refers
to the plan of Mr.. Mondell to provide
for land as well as naval disarmament.
Senator Borah in his statement said:
.It is impossible to make any head
way at all in the way of land disarma-
ment at present in Europe
Vetoed by France
"At the meeting of the Geneva As
sembly France stated plainly and can.
didly that she would not consider the
question of disarmament at this time
and she refused even to vote for the
principle of disarmament. She gave as
ner reason that her situation was such
that she could not and would not take
such action now. Six other nations
followed her. To include land disarm-
ament, therefore, is to kill the matter
outright.
with reference TO naval disarma-
ment the situation is entirely different
The three nations which are now
actually engaged in a naval race are
the United States, Great Britain and
Japan. The French navy is third class
navy, so recognized; and they are doing
practically nothing toward bringing it
up to date. The Italian navy is in like
condition. But Japan and the United
States and Great Britain are expending
navies, and they are the only powers
which bid fair to enter into competition
for the next twenty-five or fifty years.
so far as land disarmament is con-
cerned, 1T does not make any difference
to the United States, as matter of
security, now many troops France has.
The House has very wisely limited our
army to 1000 men France has an
army of 100000. But it didn't make
any difference to the House in cur
tailing our army that France had 800,-
00O
In other words, if we are sincerely
desirous of curtailing expenditures and
reducing the chances of war we viii
start where we can start. and make
progress, and that is with the naval
powers which are now in actual build
-ng competition.
II would not want to be understood
as saying that all who have suggested
including land forces as we'll as naval
forces are against disarmament, but
ask those who are sincerely in favor of
disarmament to observe that all those
who have been opposed to disarmament
and VINO are now opposed to it. and all
the enemies of the cause, are enthusi-
asticaliy for including land forces.
1T was my privilege to read a letter
written by man very prominent in
the business world to person in
Westinghouse / quote almost his
Disarmament can best be handled by
delaying it, and the best way to delay
1T is to insist upon land disarmament
as we'll as sea disarmament. 1t will
then take care of ITSELF"
An attempt to send to conference with
the Senate the navy appropriation bill
as passed by the House failed to-day
when a request for unanimous consent
TO this action was objected to by Mr.
Garrett, acting minority leader. 1t is
now probable this step toward an
agreement on the differences between
the House and Senate on the navy bill
Will be taAen on Monday under a spe-
clal rule, with debate limited to one
hour.
Narrow, Says MondelI
The motion of Representative Pat
Kelley, chairman of the appropriations
subcommittee on the navy, opened up
short discussion of the Borah disarma-
ment and the stand to be taken bv the
House. Inquiries from the minority
brought a statement. from Representa-
tive Mondell, ma ajority floor leader. who
again declared the ma jority believe the
Borah amendment is too marrow and
restricted" :"
IF we are to act upon that matter,
we should act, not in concert with one
or two nations that may arrogate to
themselves supremacy the world, but
after discussion with the nations of the
"oiiu ihCeiesleo III lhoSe matters, and,
furthermore, when we consider the
question of disarmament, we should
consider the question of disarmament
on land as we'll as on sea-" he said.
And when we consider the question of
naval disarmament we should consider
the question of naval disarmament or
reduction of armament, and not merely
the reduction of programs, as the
borah amendment provides"
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