The Penn's Grove record., 1921-11-11
ARMAMENT LIMITATION
What Has Been Done In The Past To
Limit Fighting Machines

November 9Th, has an article on what
has been done in the past to limit ar
mament. As the Conference call to
meet in Washington, d. c., this FIJI
day. 18th, is so uppermost in the
minds of the people, many think Pres
ident Harding'S call the first and only
attempt to stop armed rivalry be-
tween nations.
The Tsar of Russia called the first
meeting of modern times at the
Hague, Holland, in 1898. The mem
bers of several nations met and re-
solved that the restrictions of the mil
itary burden was extremely deSlfaDle
and wished the governments to make
an agreement to limit forces b. land
and seas. The British Prime Minister
and the President of the United
States were the only ones to make
u%tteranccs against militafist aggtah-
dizeneut.
The second Peace Conference held
in Great Britain, expressed a wiling
ness to communicate each year to the
Powers its plans for construction of
new WaJships. Russia, Germany, Au-
.tria and Japan announced they would
take no part in the discussion.
The United States Congress, June
n. 1910, passed a resolution author
ling President Vim. H. Taft to APP
point a commission Of five to consider
international agencies for limiting the
armamcuts of nations.
Nh. Holt brings the international
issue Of armament as follows:
The Kaiser Squelched Roosevelt
For some reason-perhaps Mr..
Root So advised-Presiden Taft eve
appointed the Peace Commission,
though he did ask Mr.. Roosevelt, when
the latter emerged from the African
Jungle, to sound Great Britain and
Germany to see if TREY could not be
persuaded to limit their mad anna
ment rivalry. But the Kaiser told Mr..
Roosevelt in effect not to NEEDLE with
affairs that did not concern him and
Mr.. Roosevelt stayed "squelched.'
Nothing else of any consequence
was done in the United States, or in
the world, until the Great War broke
out. though Great Britain had in the
meantime notified Germany that she
was ready to compare naval pro-
grams on the theory that such an in
terchange of information might event
ually lead to some reduction in their
respective ornaments.
During the first three years of the
wal the nations naturally put all their
thought and strength on increasing
armament instead of diminishing
them. though | must not forget the
rider Of the Naval appropriation bill
,-,--1l I1- tho Ifpi+aI StofnS EOn UJpCE
in 1917 which permitted the President
to cease building the authorized bat
tleships whenever in his judgment a
League of Nations should be set up
with machinery adequate to settle in
ternational difficulties.
Though President Wilson did not
have the opportunity then IL later to
avail himself of this privilege, ne did
make disarmament the fourth of his
Fourteen Points, which reads as fol-
lows:
Adequate guarantees given and
taken that Rational ornaments will
be reduced to the lowest point cOnsis-
tent with domestic safety.
Article VIII of the Covenant of the
League of Nations declares that ''the
maintenance of peace requires the re-
duction of national armaments to the
lowest point consistent with national
safety and the enforcement by common
action Of international obligations"
The League of Nations began its
official existence on February 10,
1920. At the eighth meeting of the
Council, held at San Sebastian, Spain,
the permanent Almaments Commits
sion of military and naval experts was
appointed in accordance with Article
X of the Covenant. This commission
had hardly organized when the AS
sembly held its initial meeting on No
vember Is, 1920. The Assembly was
naturally not unmIndful of the COS
mic urge for disarmament, but as
Germany was outside the League and
the final attitude of the United States
in doubt, it felt it was wiser to make
haste slowly. 1t contented itself
therefore with recommending that the
Council suggest to the member states
that they should not increase their
military budgets for the next two
years, and that a temporary body of
political, economic, and social experts
be added to the mixed Armament
Ctliillll@EIOl ~ 1OlNIiNIl ilCNNlCb NiliC
recommendation. The Commission
was enlarged, and an appeal was sent
out requesting each nation to keep its
military and naval budgets for the
next two years within the appropria-
tons for the current year.
Twenty-sevcn replies to this request
were received. Two, Austria and Bull
gari&, pointd out that the Versailles
Treaty had already limited their anna
mcnts. Three, Sweden, Brazil, and
South Africa, were non-committal. Fiji
teen accepted it in n form OF an
other. but practically all with the res
ervation that the other nations should
do the same.
When the second session of the AS
sembly convened in Geneva last Sep
TENDER, the mixed Armaments Com
mission, under the presidency of NJ
Viviani Of France, and composed of
political members, economists, and
fnanciers, employers and workmen's
representatives, as well as military
--.1 --x1,4 ...a11 4l,os. 5000